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Dreamysyu

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  1. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, Random Translation: Silverio Ragnarok Misaki and Ragna   
    Come into being, oh supernova written upon the heavens--- for we are a falling star from the Age of Gods.
    Oracle received, beginning revelation of the star.
    The plundered afternoon light brings forth the frozen blizzard.  The wind, the sword, and the wolf... the steps to ruin within the winter prison.
    The uncountable ruins stained our family and brothers in crimson.  Not even the three children of the gods were excepted.  There are no longer bonds between the sun, the moon, and the sea.
    Then, oh Tsukuyomi who rules the dark of night, give to me twilight.
    This is the realm of man, that which stands between the heavens and earth.  If the ancient laws are no longer needed, it is the gods that should be massacred.  The enraged butcher bares his fangs from the depths of Hel.
    Chew upon the roots of Yggdrasil and open your wings, Nidhog!
    Then I shall guide that flight with the moonlight that falls upon the path of night!  To a brilliantly-colored twilight that lies at the end of the Age of Gods!
    It needn't be said, oh silver goddess!  For I exist only for you.
    The demonic dragon rises from the underworld, tramples the rainbow bridge and devours the nine universe to become a new sun!
    Now is the time, bestow Fate upon the jaws of madness!
    Oh, thou martyr of Light, dig your fangs into my heart and complete Ragnarok.
    Metalnova- Silverio Fimbulvetr!
     
  2. Love
    Dreamysyu reacted to Pallas_Raven for a blog entry, Akai Ito Review – Blood Red Threads Of Love   
    This is a condensed version of the full review which can be found on my Main Blog Here.
    Genre - Horror, Yuri     Play Time - 25 hours    Developer - Success     Steam    VNDB
     
    Shaped By Inevitable Bonds
     
    Being bound by the red string of fate is a common trope in Japanese romance stories and at first glance you might assume that Akai Ito would follow these conventions given its emphasis on yuri. However, nothing could be further from the truth as the game takes this romantic convention and repurposes it to further a disempowerment horror story. Fate takes on a shade of grey with the feeling of love being tinged by the march of supernatural forces who care nothing for this newly formed bond. Akai Ito is very much a visual novel from a bygone era and this makes it a strange oddity in the modern day especially with how few games in the medium get HD remasters. Its strong core identity has only grown in potency as its peers have fallen into obscurity and a lack of the cliches of the current age makes for a novel experience. Even its strange collection of design choices are not enough to sour the overall package. With all that said how well does this mix of yuri and horror stand up against the more varied modern medium? Let’s follow the treads of fate and discover what this relic has to offer.
     
    Returning To A Forgotten Home – Narrative and Themes
     
    As a narrative core romance and horror make for odd bedfellows and it this exact dissonance Akai Ito uses to great effect. It utilises a supernatural mystery as the binding element between these two halves and puts each to good use as the source of the tense horror of being in the shoes of a weak protagonist and for rich variety of yuri relationships. Sometimes this is pushed too far and stretches the player’s patience with just how powerless the protagonist is even in situations where it does not make narrative sense.
     

     
    Returning to a family home you barely remember is a strange experience with memories slowly coming back as you explore the place where you once spent so much time. Such is the backbone of Akai Ito’s supernatural mystery, a forgotten past in a distant home which many people who would rather the protagonist, Kei, forget for good. No secret can remain hidden for long when curiosity guides the one it concerns and this acts as the diving force for both Kei and the player leading to a feeling of exploration and forward momentum. Each new discovery hints at the next and passes on the sense of intrigue in such a way that the player never feels too sure they know how this is going to end. There is a well divided structure to the distribution of key revelations between the routes so none of them horde all the good twists and they are provided to the heroine with which they have a connection, so they can be delivered believably. What this means in practice is utilising them as a source of conflict against and between Kei and the route heroine creating dynamic situations in which secrets flow out naturally. In doing it this way the supernatural mystery can sit next to the other narrative elements without overwhelming them with major plot points centred around it.
     
    Alongside the mystery sits the game’s emphasis on a tense disempowerment brand of horror. Kei is no superpowered fighter nor does she become so over the course of the story. Instead she is a fairly average human in terms of physical capabilities and this makes the threats against her life all the more palpable. The player instinctually know the consequences of any harm that comes her way since they too feel the fragility of human life with each attack being a possible broken limb at best or instant death at worse. Tapping into this primal fear of our own weak bodies and the spectre of death in every possible slip up is the game’s greatest achievement and it injects a visceral sense of tension into the supernatural threat facing Kei. It feels as if even the slightest nudge could cause this story to come to an abrupt and bloody end. The only issue with this approach is that Kei’s weakness can sometimes be pushed too far and she feels like a passenger in her own story with her love interests doing all the heavy lifting to the point of eclipsing the person who is meant to be the main character. While this never makes itself know enough to break the player’s suspense, it can still be distracting to see how little our main character does at times in their own story.
     
    Tied Together By Fate – Characters
     
    On one side of the character divide with have our protagonist Kei who as mentioned above is a deliberately underpowered character for the threats they are facing, but beyond that they are also immensely relatable. Their vulnerability makes the actions they take to face the threat against their life take on a greater weight and helps sell the human nature of their heroism. Kei is not someone who is helping out of the goodness of her heart and instead she acts to protect and support those she cares about, normally the route heroine. The childish and selfish streak in her does a good job of making feel like she is someone her age, on the cusp of maturity but still with a lot of the emotional baggage of a teenager. For a player point of view character, this mixture of strengths and weakness is perfect for keeping interest constant and having a relatable point of reference among all the supernatural forces since we have all been in that cusp of adulthood during our lives so we too know how confusing it can be. She also works well as a mirror for the heroines since she has the innocence that they do not and is able to see through the masks they wear and show them their true feeling even as they try to reject her. These bonds are reciprocal as Kei learns and matures in a way close to the route’s heroine by taking on a small amount of their traits so she can be more like them.
     

     
    Sitting opposite Kei is the rest of the cast, both heroines and antagonists, as they all share a similar clear focus to their aims even if Kei is not immediately aware of what they are or what they involve. These competing desires lead to them rubbing each other the wrong way and results in interesting, telling and varied interactions that do a lot to further the mysteries at the heart of the game. The conflicts are not limited to fighting against the antagonists and many stem from the heroines’ differing values as they struggle to contain their hostility or unease towards each other, all the while tiptoeing around Kei. Such a wide pool of character relationships helps support the game’s multiple route structure as it can put an emphasis on a certain set of struggles to make them the focus, keep them fresh and encourages a thorough dive into each route to gain a complete picture of these characters. The mystique surrounding the antagonists is maintained by never revealing enough through these interactions to give away what drives them or what they have planned, but still provide enough for the player to form their own theories. As a whole they are an astonishingly well thought through cast that fit their roles and the tone of the game well.
     
    Otherworldly Beauty – Visuals, Audio and Technical
     
    Presentation is one of the key elements used to sell this HD remaster and, while the original version never released in English, there has been a clear effort to make sure it lives up to these expectations. This new layer of polish breaths life into an early 2000’s title with crisp visuals and increased fidelity which helps enhance the game’s tone by giving it a grounded aesthetic. The charm of this older style of anime character and CG designs is not lost in the transfer into HD and now it stands out even more alongside a field of moe centric visual novels, making it a refreshing blast from the past. However, the visuals have not been stretched to fit into a widescreen resolution and instead light patterned sidebars have been added to fill out what would have been black bars around the image. These are relatively unobtrusive and to be expected since this is a remaster rather than a remake and they never intrude into the experience in the way simple black bars would have. On the audio front the sound effects and music maintain the excellent atmosphere of the original and they are clear to the listener with no distortions. Each track is used to great effect and they all lean into the mystery and romantic tones that define Akai Ito which leads to some impressively emotive moments.
     

     
    Despite the general high quality of Akai Ito, there is one area bringing down the whole experience and this is the uneven nature of the translation and its implementation. The overall quality of the translation is decent, but there are certain places were it stumbles and these happen often enough to be distracting. One of the most noticeable places to observe this is in the menus where some text is translated very literally to the point of requiring you to stop and think about what the button you are hovering over actually means. Within the game itself there will be moments where the phrasing of certain sentences will be unnatural or flow poorly and you’ll wonder if you misread it which brings you out of the events on screen. Then there are the issues with how text is implemented into the game, it is a regular feature for a single section of text to be broken into several textboxes with one ending suddenly and shifting directly into the next in a way that makes it clear that the original text occupied a single textbox. This can lead to the text lacking the impact it might have otherwise had if it was delivered as a single blow rather than being split up. All these points are disappointing given the otherwise high bar of the game’s quality and are worth keeping in mind when considering your purchase. 
     
    Conclusion
     
    On the surface mixing yuri and horror might seem to be a recipe for disaster but Akai Ito showcases a strong case from how taking two disparate genre together can lead to exciting new games. Smoothly blending the suspense of its supernatural mystery with the horror of our own fragile mortal bodies and the enriching and varied nature of love is the main draw of this visual novel. Backing this up is a solid cast of multifaceted heroines and villains alongside a protagonist who displays a strong humanity in her actions. This strength continues in its visual and auditory presentation which has benefited highly from the HD treatment. The only places the game stumbles are in its uneven translation and frustrating lock system, but neither of these do enough to ruin an otherwise well put together title.
     
    Verdict – An outstanding disempowerment horror experience that utilises its yuri component with grace and which stands out despite its age and a few questionable design choices.
     
    Pros -
     
    + A good balance of supernatural mystery and tension keeps the narrative engaging.
     
    + The yuri relationships are presented believably and never overshadow the story’s direction.
     
    + Clear and crisp HD visuals that retain the charm of their originals.     + Plays up the protagonist vulnerability just enough to enable the horror elements.     Cons -     - Translation can be a bit strange at times and there is a lack of polish when it comes to how it is integrated into the game.     - The lock system creates unnecessary confusion and serves only to frustrate the player.     - The protagonist can be a bit too passive in the events determining her very survival and often leaves things to her love interest rather than doing it herself.      
  3. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, The Ups and Downs of Web Novels and Light Novels   
    I'll go ahead and begin with an intro to my current experience with Light Novels and Web Novels in Japanese.  For the last two years, I've been reading them at a rate of 60-100 chapters a day (faster in the case of below-average size chapters).  I primarily read fantasy with a side of science fiction (no, not just isekai, though I love isekai).  This isn't hard, because fantasy and science fiction make up over three-quarters of all the LNs and Web Novels out there.  This is a bit ironic to my eyes, since it was the reverse with VNs, where romance and slice of life made up over 90% of all JVNs.
    The great thing about web novels is that you can read them at your leisure without paying anything, and if you like it, most good authors have a patreon you can contribute to or get a light novel release you can buy to put money in their pockets.  The downsides are that there are usually three bad web novels for every one good one, and even the good ones usually have problems with the writing (a web novel I read recently used incorrect kanji for common phrases in a number of cases, making it annoyingly hard to read).  
    The good thing about Light Novels is that they generally have added and more refined content compared to the original material, and they generally also come along with at least some pictures to help you get an idea of what the characters look like (some Japanese authors just suck at describing character appearances beyond hair color and skin color).  The downside is that light novels are generally more expensive than standard paperbacks or ebooks and rarely go down in price even after years or even decades have passed.  As such, they are often a huge burden on the pocketbook (in particular, a lot of LN series give you very little content for each $10 volume, as little as one hundred fifty short pages in a lot of cases, which is totally not worth it).
    The upside of web novels in terms of content is that web novels tend to be more freeform and creative.  However, in exchange most are never completed and many of them just trail off because the writer runs out of ideas.  This is opposed to Light Novels, where I've definitely experienced situations (repeatedly) where authors are just continuing out of momentum and the story never goes anywhere... which is horrible when you are already overpaying for novels that are far too short for the money in question.  It is pretty common for LN series to run to 20+ volumes and yet never really get anywhere...
     
  4. Sad
    Dreamysyu reacted to Zero Mr. Zoll VN.Info for a blog entry, BIG BREAKING NEWS Visual Novel Developer Mages from SciADV Series is Broke   
    This morning an article was published at Gamebiz but the content is shocking it is about the news that the Japanese developer of the SciADV series is bankrupt and insolvency proceedings are coming. Who gets the rights of the SciADV series is still unclear.
    List of debts
    Sales: 4.225 billion yen (-7.1% year-on-year).
    Recurring loss: ¥556 million (-¥152 million).
    Terminal loss: ¥613 million (down from ¥307 million).
     
  5. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to littleshogun for a blog entry, Accomplishments of the Gravure Model Review   
    Visual Novel Translation Status (04/12/2022)
    Because we have Lover Pretend in which it finally has the villainess otome VN character (Even if for one route only) and said character work as the gravure model, I made reference of a certain 'reincarnated into villainess otome' manga, Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter, by changing 'Duke's Daughter' into 'Gravure Model' so we have 'Accomplishments of the Gravure Model' as this week VNTS Review title. Anyway welcome to this week VNTS Review, and if I may summarize this week it would be slightly below average to me, but if anything else at least we still have some updates with the biggest one is Tsukihime Remake was fully translated. Let's see what I can write in regard of this week.
    Aksys released Lover Pretend, and out of all translated otome VN so far it's the only one that purely featuring usual romance drama instead of having very interesting premise. As for the premise, we have Chiyuki who work as the assistant of the script writer tasked to write about love. Seeing that Chiyuki has never experienced romance in the first place, obviously the job would be very hard to her. That said, she did very best so that she can write the best script in order to fulfill her two dream, to be the best scriptwriter like her late mother and to find about her missing father who according to the clue that her mother left is that the one who involved in drama may know something about it. Little did she know that she'll learn about love through her new job, in which she'll end up with one of five heroes. Go get Lover Pretend if you have Switch (Unfortunately still no Steam release here) and been looking forward to it, and have fun.
    For this week fan translation we have Chronos is at three quarter translated, 14 out of 138 script files for Umi kara Kuru Mono are translated, Anzu's route of Akagoei FD is at 70% translated, Senmomo is at 80.67% edited with Chapter 6 is at 64.45% edited, ChuSingura is at 16.37% translated, and H2O is at 56.7% translated with Hinata's route is fully translated (By the way the translator already decided to work on Yui's route along with the rest of Root After and Another contents before going back to translate Otoha's route). There's also another update in regard of Eiyuutan in which the translator already finished translate all of 10 script files for Aisha's route in Episode 1 (Excluding the sex scenes), and turned out that the true number of script files in Episode 1 is 23 script files, so currently we have 10 out of 23 script files of Eiyuutan first episode are translated. 
    We finally have all Ciel's route of Tsukihime Remake are fully translated, which obviously mean that all of Tsukihime Remake are fully translated. That said though, obviously it didn't mean that we can get the translation patch directly because there's still some works left to do, such as editing and finalizing, in which the translator already worked on those two in the past (Ciel's route up to day 8 is already edited while at the same time Ciel's route has been finalized up to day 6). Speaking of fully translated, we also have all of Yoshitsune's route of Majikoi A-5 is fully translated, which mean Majikoi A-5 here is fully translated, although of course we still need to wait for the polishing works (ie TLC and editing works) before the release. Almost forgot to mention that Mangagamer released Detective Masochist 3, and I can only say whatever to that nukige (Go get it though if you want more Detective Masochist after playing the previous two prequel).
    Lastly we have Committee of Zero announced that they'll release Chaos Head Noah fix patch in this month, in which it's already been delayed from initial release plan on October because the high number of bugs, especially the Switch version. Speaking of Noah, while there's a lot of mistake so much that Committee of Zero urge the player to wait for the fix patch, at least this time PC version of Noah has mouse support unlike Robotic Notes where we need to wait for the fix patch in order to have mouse support on PC version of Robotic Notes.
    That's all for what I can write in regard of this week, and see you next week.
  6. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, Random free EVNs worth reading #1   
    Welcome back my dear readers and welcome to this new, irregularly-posted segment on EVN Chronicles! 
    As some of you might know, beyond my general burnout which made me put the blog on indefinite hiatus, late last year I've developed some health problems that pretty much killed my will to read VNs and my ability to contribute meaningful content on Fuwa... For a while. As I come back to life, both physically and mentally, I've decided to resurrect this space and log my adventures through mostly short, free EVNs, sharing with you all the most notable finds among the game jam entries and random passion projects I read through. So, do you want to read some hidden gems, all available for the very reasonable price of $0.00? You're sure to find some on this little list, and the ones that come in the future!
    Optimal Conditions for a Sacrifice | Yuri/Fantasy/Comedy | ~20 min

    It's rare for extremely short VNs to charm me, but Optimal Conditions for a Sacrifice has just the perfect combination of humour, wit and well-delivered punchline to made this kind of tiny experience memorable. The game plays on mythological themes and a rich set if metaphors to construct an intriguing narrative about the nature of love – all while never taking itself seriously or trying too hard to be profound. And this last part is crucial – from the game's Ith.io page, through its net of riddles and on-the-nose social commentary and to the purposefully jumbled ending, you can feel the fun the author had writing all of it and molding it into a VN. And while this kind of experiment has always a high risk of missing the mark and becoming an unreadable mess, the genuine-feeling and relatable messaging it ends with makes it better than it had any right to be. And with a nice artstyle as a bonus... It's very much worth it to sacrifice 20 minutes of your time to check it out. 
    Itch.io Page
    My Dream Is To Be a Model, Not a Maid! | Yuri/Drama | ~1h 20 min

    Team ANPIM are regular authors of cliched G/G romance, always present for the annual Yuri Game Jam with a new piece of heartwarming fluff. While their output in the past three years was a bit of a mixed bag, often lacking interesting twists to keep the formula fun, My Dream Is To Be a Model, Not a Maid! is what I'd call a return to form. Starting with a silly premise of an aspiring (and awfully unsuccessful model) getting coerced into becoming a lived-in housekeeper for a young daughter of a CEO, it provides a well-paced and fun piece of romance between two people of vastly different backgrounds and live experiences. While the short runtime limits how deep the story can get and the overall structure of the romance plot is utterly typical, the characterisation and humour make it all solid enough to be a very enjoyable, one-sitting read. And with a bunch of really nice-looking CGs added to the mix, it's exactly what you would want from this kind of bite-sized piece of yuri fluff.
    Itch.io Page
    My Crush My Bully | Yuri/Drama | ~30 min

    Written by one of my favourite VN writers on the freeware/game jam side of the market, PunishedHag, My Crush My Bully is a short story about an awkward, nerdy girl who unexpectedly encounters her school tormentor on a trip to library. While trying to stealthily buy the newest book in her favourite fantasy series, she's caught by the titular bully, but there's something off with the interaction that follows... While the game is maybe a bit too short to reach its full potential, its strength lies not only in good characterisation of the main characters, but also in providing two vastly different viewpoints on the relationship it depicts. The perspective shift took me by surprise, providing a sombre, emotional backstory to the somewhat whacky-feeling romantic plot. Without it, the whole story would just be a decently-written piece of yuri fluff, but the additional depth and social commentary it adds makes the whole experience worthwhile despite the short length.
    Itch.io Page
    Wolfskin's Curse | Fantasy/Horror/Mystery | ~1h 30 min

    Probably the most involved and well-produced VN on today's list, Wolfskin's Curse offers a mystery plot about a former priestess and a werewolf running away from tragedy and persecution, only to be caught up in a new chain of deaths and being framed as perpetrators. A very climatic piece of dark fantasy, this short story offers most elements you would expect from the formula: a gloomy setting, tragic romance and a cast of ambiguous and tortured characters trying to survive in a hostile world. It also includes high-quality art and full voice acting – that last part being something I usually avoid in freeware projects due to it rarely being good enough to be more enjoyable than just reading the dialogue yourself, but here it was done with decent quality and care, particularly for a game jam entry. And whether you mute the voices or not, the VN will be an interesting and emotional journey – at least if you don't mind reading something pretty depressing in tone.
    Itch.io Page | Google Play
    And that's all for now! As I'm trying to take things slow, this segment will show up at random intervals and likely with different amounts of content. However, I'm going to keep the mission of spotlighting notable EVNs alive as long as I'm able to – if you're interested in those, be sure to follow the blog and if you have recommendations for free EVNs worth checking out, make sure to leave them in the comments. Thank you for reading!
  7. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, Magatsu Barai: Preliminary Thoughts   
    Before someone asks, I merely paused the other VN to start Magatsu Barai (and Xenoblade Chronicles 3).  I will finish it (eventually).
    Magatsu Barai is the first Light game to be made from beginning to end after the collapse of the company's original owners.  As such, it is only natural (and unfortunate, at least to an extent) that some things will have changed.
    To address the elephant in the room for anyone who has seen the cover or sample cgs... The coloring really is that awful.  I mean, how could any cg artist think those colors wouldn't be eye cancer?  
    On the other hand, the music is an interesting set of contrasts.  There are a lot of themes that have been slightly rearranged to seem like new ones but are actually just modified ones from the Silverio series.  The rest are actually quite high-quality, but then, Light has never had any problem on that side of things.
    For those unable to read the official website due to being Nihongo-disabled, I will explain the basic setting.  
    Essentially, it is a world where sorcery in Japan remained intertwined with politics and daily life right up to the modern day.  In that sense, the setting is somewhat reminiscent of Tokyo Ravens.  However, a vital difference is that there was no real magic left outside of Japan before WWII, when the atom bombs spread it over the world when they hit Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  This resulted in the Japanese having a valuable service to provide the rest of the world... exorcists and sorcerers to counter the new laws of reality that made some of the habits the rest of the world had developed disastrous.
    As an example of this, the 'magatsu' in this world setting essentially causes a magical reaction whenever enough harm is done to a feeling being (even an insect), and this effect magnifies the more this is done.  At the beginning of the story, a news story comes up on the TV where, as the result of a country overusing pesticide against a plague of locusts, the locusts' spirits became a cloud of demonic insects that were even worse than the locusts in question.
    Because this happens all over the place, it is a world where magic-users always have a role to play.
    As such, I find the setting interesting... at least so far.
    As for the heroines, I'd say the two magatsu heroines are the most interesting, with the protagonist's older sister entering one step behind and Tsubasa falling a few steps behind her.  This is my tastes though, so others might feel differently.  A huge positive is that there are no 'Victim A' heroines in this story.  All the heroines are capable of protecting themselves (sometimes better than the protagonist is... actually all of them), so there is no sense that any of them is helpless, one of the most annoying chuunige tropes.
    On the other hand, the protagonist is under the influence of one of the more annoying tropes of the genre... the talentless guy who nonetheless throws himself into things (think Emiya Shirou from Fate).  While he does gain a power that lets him keep up, this is a power given to him by the true heroine, not a power of his own (which is another trope).
    All in all, my opinion so far is that this is an interesting chuunige VN whose art is eye cancer.
  8. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, WN: Imouto no Iru Seikatsu   
    https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6442ez/
    This particular series is another reincarnation story, but it stands out because the entirety of the story so far is concentrated in his childhood, where he is constantly dealing with problems beyond his abilities, faced with situations where revealing his true abilities would harm his family, and generally trying to keep his yanderish little sister from being lonely.  His name is Alto Cranepot, and he is the bastard son of a noble who married into an Earl's family with the man's mistress, Ryuushka.  Al, as he is called most of the time, died of overwork in his previous life and is often described as having the atmosphere of a worn-out worker that is at odds with his beautiful features inherited from his mother.  Due to the fact that he had to touch his sister's soul while in the womb to help her and his mother survive, his sister is totally obsessed with him from the moment she is born.  
    His teacher, Eibelle, is the series heroine, one of the two remaining ancestors of the elven race, the Arch Elves, her nickname being 'hametsu' (Ruin) for the fact that she was always the one to destroy threats in the previous ages (she is at least ten thousand years old, but as innocent in matters of romance as a girl can get).  She is not only his love interest but his teacher of sorcery and easily the most adorable character in the series.  It helps that Al loves her from almost the first time he meets her, and she shares that feeling.  
    The entirety of the seven hundred and so chapters that have come out so far has only resulted in him turning eight years old, as the author is cramming an immense amount of detail into every year of his life.  As such, there is no way you can consider this to be a complete story.  However, it is an immensely enjoyable read, as Al struggles to have a normal life while ruining those plans with his own hands and efforts.  
    Overall, this is a great choice for people who like isekai stories that are mostly daily life with a side of comedy and action/adventure.  I don't recommend this to people who want fast-paced stories.  I do recommend it for people who like their stories to have a lot of details.
  9. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, WN: Hell Mode   
    (Note: To be clear, this is an unfinished VN with over 500 chapters)
    Hell Mode is the WN I recently began (and finished to the current point) reading.  It is another reincarnation one, where the protagonist was a heavy gamer who is one of those types that loves high-difficulty setups, reveling in grinding, conquering dungeons, and generally indulging in his desire to see more.  He goes to a website where he gets the choice of difficulty and his job, and he picks the hardest difficulty Hell Mode (where everything is 100x harder than Normal Mode) and the high-difficulty job, Summoner.  
    The world he ends up in is one where people see jobs as 'talents' and talent determines how far a person can go (if they aren't a noble) in life.  However, it is also a world threatened by a demon lord, and much of the story past the first fifth of what has already been written is war against the demon king's forces.  
    The protagonist has terrible 'gamer's brain' and thinks of everything in terms of gaming, to the point where he examines every aspect of his skills, those of his companions, the tools at hands, the powers of his enemies, etc.  One of the running jokes of the series is how he keeps dragging his friends into grinding in dungeons to gain levels and skill levels and their reactions to it when he passes certain limits. 
    Honestly, this one was a fun read, and I'm looking forward to him finishing the latest volume (probably sometime in September, judging by his writing speed and how fast his previous entries were completed).  I have the feeling that there will be at least two more volumes after the one he is writing now, so give it a year to a year and a half, and this series will probably come to a conclusion.
    One thing that might make people lose interest is that the protagonist has absolutely no interest in romance or the opposite (or same) sex in that way.  While there are a lot of indications that girls around him are infatuated with him, he doesn't even notice one way or the other.  So don't expect there to be any romance on his end or ecchi situations.  This is a story about a guy who loves figuring out how the world works and making it work for him and gains great joy from difficult situations.
    Edit: There are other elements that made it attractive for me.  In particular, the existence of a friendly rival in the form of the hero Hermios, whose existence is oddly humorous despite the seriousness of the situations they meet in.  In addition, the main antagonist (so far) Kyuber is a surprisingly decent villain character who gives off the proper aura of the shadow behind the throne with his own agenda you want to see in any similar situation.  
    A major downside I failed to mention is that the growth in the story is all grinding (as fits with the MMO-addict's methodology the protagonist loves), which sometimes made it a bit hard to follow the protagonist's gleeful heavy gamerism.
  10. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, WN: Ikidaore no Shoujo o Hirotta to Omottara Mirai no Maou Datta   
    https://ncode.syosetu.com/n7471fo/34/
    This is a very short WN I read on a whim over the course of a few hours.  It is complete for what it is, and what it is isn't what you'd think.  The protagonist is a reincarnator who was reborn in a game world, where he became a rootless traveling mage, sightseeing in the fantasy world he knew from the game.  One day, he comes across a collapsed Dragonkin girl, who turns out to be the demon lord from the game.
    This story is one of romance and redemption, as a clumsy man approaching middle age does his best to be a friend to a girl who has lost everything.  To be honest, there were several times even in this short story that I cried, simply because the writer was so good at creating the character interactions between Spika and Sanson.  As Spika regains her humanity, it turns into an adorable romance that you can't help but cheer on.
  11. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, VNs and Me Today   
    I've had numerous comments from people who were asking, 'Do you still play VNs?' in the last year or so because I hardly post anymore.   When I do, it is usually litrpg, random commentary, or maybe one game a month.  The short answer is yes.  The full answer is a bit more complicated.
    First, I should note that a lot of this is about timing... to be slightly more specific, a confluence of factors that created a singularity of me just not posting anymore.  The events in question are my increasing intolerance for disinteresting themes and pure SOL (that is, slice of life without a central plot, even if it is loose); Coronavirus causing a dramatic drop in the release of non-nukige JVNs; and the resulting tendency I had for going back and replaying stuff I've already posted about in the past (sometimes multiple times).  
    While the sheer number of VNs I play per year has gone down from 50-70 to about 20-30, a good portion of those are replays.  I'd say about a little over two-fifths of all the VNs I've played in the last year and a half have been ones I've already replayed multiple times, another fifth were ones I dug out of my archives, another fifth were kusoge not worth posting about, and the remaining fifth are the ones I posted on.  
    A contributing factor to this is Coronavirus and the resulting depression in the non-nukige VN market for PC (which I play almost exclusively, since I don't want to mod  my consoles for the sake of VNs alone).  Companies that once put out games multiple times a year have maybe released one in the last year and a half, other companies have quietly gone out of business, and yet other ones had to drop projects because they couldn't work around the health restrictions.  Charage alone have seen an unprecedented decrease in production, with entire months going by with NO releases (something that would have been unthinkable before Coronavirus).  
    The last major issue is that my burnout on pure SOL (at least high school SOL) has turned into a complete intolerance.  I once thought it would ease somewhat with time, but, if anything, it has gotten worse.  If there isn't something besides pure SOL in there to catch my interest (like nakige, utsuge, or plotge elements), I simply won't be able to finish them.  
    If the protagonist is interesting, I can still (barely) play school life that have something in the way of non-SOL elements, but otherwise, they are unplayable to me.
     
  12. Thanks
    Dreamysyu reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, VN of the Month November 2021 - Sousaku Kanojo no Ren'ai Koushiki   
    There are as many as two games about GameDev, and since there's not much else to look at, one of them Sousaku Kanojo no Ren'ai Koushiki becomes game of the Month.  
    1. Yuru Camp△ - Have a Nice Day! ゆるキャン△ Have a nice day! [211111] MAGES. GAME Take on the roles of Kagamihara Nadeshiko and Shima Rin, and enjoy a branching story where the camp contents change in a big way based on your choices. With “what if” scenarios not depicted in the TV anime, this is a game Laid-Back Camp fans will not want to miss. The game features various "what if" scenarios. What if everyone went to the Takabocchi Highlands, where Rin originally went solo? What if Rin camped solo at Shibire Lake, where she originally went with Nadeshiko? What if Rin brought a portable grill to Lake Motosu? Despite featuring the same scenes as the anime, you can still enjoy a fresh camping experience! In Laid-Back Camp: Have a Nice Day!, you can relive the Laid-Back Camp experience by visiting Lake Motosu, Fumoto Campsite, Eastwood Campsite, Takabocchi Highlands, Shibire Lake, Jinbagatayama Campsite, and Fujinomiya. Furthermore, Lake Tanuki Campsite, which only appears by name in the original comic, has also been added as a campground. But whether you are able to camp there depends on your actions. Anime Spin-Off  
    2. NinNinDays 2 [21118] qureate A young man is dazing off while working the night shift at a convenience store, when a girl stops in to ask for a meat bun. The one next to her appears to be her boyfriend, and after doing their shopping, the two of them link arms affectionately and take off. Just when the young man is thinking how nice it would be to have a girlfriend, a pair of girls in ninja cosplay show up. The girls just stare at the shop goods without buying anything in particular. Even worse, they're even chatting about ninja techniques or something along those lines. When he calls out to them to prevent theft, it becomes apparent that they have no money. Despite suspecting that they might try to steal something, he gives in and buys a bento for the two desperately pleading girls. The life of that young man is turned upside down from the moment of his encounter with the two young women. A roommate life with two female ninja, one a Chuunibyou, and the other a fanservice machine, is about to begin?! And so begins a new love story with two ninja girls! Sequel is released in English  
    3. Asatsugutori アサツグトリ [211125] Nippon Ichi Software Hibari wakes up in a strange room alongside seven other girls. An announcement from above confused the girls. "Only one person who survives till the end can leave the building." "We recommend that you give it all your best to survive for as long as possible even just for one second, and you may be able to use magic." A few days after the girls' mysterious communal life begins, an incident finally occurred. Hibari regrets not being able to stop the scene of death that happened in front of her. "If only I could go back before she died…" The next day, when Hibari wakes up and goes to the cafeteria, she saw the girl who died the day prior. The ability to travel back in time "With this power, you can start over as many times as you like. No one will ever die again." Console exclusive detective  
    4. Hoshi no Otome to Rikka no Shimai 星の乙女と六華の姉妹 [211126] ensemble Main character Yuki is a popular  streamer. Despite his cute looks he is actually a man. He impersonates as his sister to attend top high school for idols that is forbidden for men. Traps is not my thing  
    5. Sousaku Kanojo no Ren'ai Koushiki 創作彼女の恋愛公式 [211126] Aino+Links 1 Our protagonist, Toshiki Kagami, is headed to Tokyo, where he will begin living with his cousin and her family. Unbeknownst to others, he harbors a desire within himself. He wants to rekindle that creative spark he all but lost now. He had a childhood friend, Aisa Ayase. They were two peas in a pod, always competing against each other, seeing who could create better stories. However, as they grew older, their thoughts and mindset slowly started differing more and more from each other. In the end, Aisa moved with her family to Tokyo. The now separated Aisa and Toshiki would still send letters to each other, talking about their current lives and, of course, sending each other stories for the other to read. However, once the prospect of entering high school drew ever so closer, the letters from Aisa all but disappeared. Nonetheless, Toshiki continued writing stories, making doujin games and eventually, he would debut with his first commercial light novel. And while the cultivation of his creative prowess was growing steadily, he hit a slump half a year ago. And so, he postulated that perhaps spending time with similarly aged creators would help him break free of his slump. Steeling himself, Toshiki enrolled in Saika Private Academy, a school designed for creators to gather in one space. With that, spring rolls around and Toshiki is in Tokyo, ready to start his new school life. And it is there that he reunites with Aisa once more. There are English reviews  
    6. Uchi wa Mou, Enki Dekinai. ウチはもう、延期できない。[211126] Sonora 1 Spring break. Miyamura Miku, a hobby writer of light novels, is approached by her older sister Miyamura Karin, who reveals to her that she's working as a voice actress for erotic games. "The company I am working for right now needs someone to assist with writing the sex scenes!" Karin asks for Miku's assistance. "Wait, I'm still a virgin, you know? I have no clue how to write such a thing!" At the same time the protagonist, Shiiba Masashi, is getting a sudden call from his big sister. "Jeez, we can't! We're delaying. Can't. Impossible. We delay." The one who keeps repeating these phrases like a broken record, is the protagonist's older sister, Shiiba Sayaka - CEO as well as scenario writer of the popular upstart eroge brand "Hades Soft". "If we delay now, then we're done for. The sponsors will be chasing us for the rest of our life in order to reclaim the cash. We have to find a solution or I'll be to the neck in debt! I'll come haunt you if this kills me, okay?!" And so, Masashi ends up being roped into helping them with their eroge development?! This game is centering around eccentric heroines like the key animator Suzumoto Chisa (pen name: Suzuse Akiko) and the reclusive graphic designer Sakakibara Ai. Here comes an ADV about creating eroge that's a little on the weirder side. IF YOU LOVE EROGE, DON'T JOIN AN EROGE COMPANY! There is an English review  
  13. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, Web Novel Review: Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou   
    Some people may have seen the relatively low-quality anime for Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou and are probably wondering why I am bothering to spout about this.  Lately I've been plowing through LNs and web novels because I ran out of interesting VNs, but this is the first one I feel a need to expound on at length.  Let's be clear, I am one of the freaks who enjoyed the anime, though I did so while wincing constantly at the animators' choices and the horrible monster CGs.  To me, Hajime's story just stood out as being that good, despite the crippling weakness of having used up half the season on the 'buildup arc' that is the content of the first LN.  
    However, I wasn't anticipating just how high in quality the web novel version would be.  To be blunt, Ryo Shirakome is one of those rare Japanese writers who really is as good as the hype and has a very obvious love of the material he is writing.  More importantly, he is very consistent with how he portrays his characters and their growth. 
    Story Intro
    For those unfamiliar with this series, it focuses on Nagumo Hajime, a young man summoned with his class to another world, only to turn out to be the overall weakest of the group and in possession of a class that is both common and unsuited for battle.   In the beginning, Hajime is a kind-hearted, pacifistic young man with a great deal of courage (and enough of an otaku that it survives all his travails) but no standout abilities.  However, when delving into the depths of the Orcus Labyrinth, his fellow classmates get caught in a trap and they are all sent to a much lower floor... to face a Behemoth, a monster that is beyond their abilities.  Hajime, despite his weakness, manages to help greatly in holding it off, but just as he is about to make his own escape, one of his classmates betrays him, directing a fireball to stray and hit him so that he will fall into the abyss with the Behemoth.  
    He survives the fall only to have his right arm eaten by one of the beasts in the depths in front of his own eyes.  In order to survive, he is forced into a corner where his previously kind heart is shattered and reforged in the fires of despair and hatred, reforming him into a man who sees the world in only two colors, those who are enemies and those who are not... and responds to enemies with death.  This is further reinforced when he eats a monster and has to endure immense agony as his body is broken and remade again and again, shaving away at his humanity with each cycle, until what remains is only one step short of a true monster.
    Main Story assessment
    That's a pretty bare bones prologue for you and essentially covers the content of the first episode of the anime and the first three chapters of the web novel.  Oddly, despite the horrific beginnings, this is as much a story about love as it is of hate and killing.  Yue, the story's main heroine, is the reason for this.  She is also the reason that this didn't turn into just another 'dark anti-hero goes out and gets revenge' story.  His meeting with Yue is one of several turning points in Hajime's growth as a character and one of the most well-orchestrated ones I've ever seen (regardless of whether it is the anime or the web novel).  Yue is the kindred spirit who helps Hajime stay one step away from the abyss of endless carnage he would otherwise have stepped into.  This is despite the fact that she is just as broken as he is, psychologically.  
    The way this story uses the various heroines to help Hajime regain bits and pieces of his humanity is perhaps the most emotionally powerful aspect in retrospect.  Yue helps him stop short of losing his humanity, Shia (the bunny-girl) stops Yue and Hajime from becoming completely isolated from the rest of the world, Aiko reminds him of what it is to be human, and Kaori reconnects him to his past, solidifying his reasons for his journey.   Without all of these heroines, it is likely this story would not have been nearly as powerful, as Hajime's journey would have probably just been a series of 'kill this, kill that, have sex with Yue, kill more'.  
    I didn't mention Tio, Shizuku and Myuu in the previous paragraph because they serve slightly different roles from the other girls.  Tio is pretty much just comedy relief as a character, despite being as in love with Hajime and the other girls.  Shizuku is, surprisingly, the most 'normal' girl in the group and the one who serves as the most solid connection between the self-isolating harem of girls who are mostly disinterested in anything other than Hajime (with Aiko being the exception, given her sense of duty to her students).  Myuu... well lets just say Myuu's role is fairly similar to Yue's, except that she awakens Hajime's obsessively protective instincts that come to define him later on.
    The story itself is dark and brutal despite the frequent humorous interactions between the characters.  This is inevitable, as the world of Tortus is a world ruled by an insane god whose greatest pleasure lies in ruining the lives of his slaves.  There are a lot of hugely powerful battle scenes, crazy plot twists, and hilarious results of Hajime's trip through Tortus.  The ending of the main story (which will probably be published sometime next year in the LNs) is as hugely dramatic as the beginning.  
    After Story Assessment
    The After Story, which is still ongoing, is HUGE.  It is almost as big as the main story, but it is told in non-chronological order as a bunch of arcs and one-off postings rather than in order.  Despite this, the After Story has provided me with probably fifty times as many laughs as the main story did.  Part of this is because what trials and tribulations that occur are mostly overcome by Hajime's already beyond-divine power gained during the main story or the power of his OP friends, wives, allies, and classmates.   Whether it is Myuu attracting UMAs, demons, ghosts, and youkai like a bug lamp attracts flies or Kousuke falling deeper into the chuuni abyss as he builds his accidental harem in Hajime's service, I haven't stopped laughing in weeks.  
    Of course, there are some deadly serious points, perhaps the most powerful of which are the stories involving Kouki, who struggles with the after-effects of his time on Tortus more than anybody else (for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who has already read the existing LNs or the main story of the web novel).  However, even in these, Shirokome does an excellent job of keeping the balance from taking you too far into grimdark to truly enjoy.  
    Overall assessment up to the present
    Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou does great at every aspect of what I want from this kind of story.  It has great feels, it has great comedy, it has awesome characters, and its plot is close to sublime.  More importantly, it is put together in such a way that all the elements enhance one another nearly to perfection.  If you like isekai with a wide dark streak that can make fun of itself, this is an excellent choice.
  14. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to littleshogun for a blog entry, Full Metal Gorilla Review   
    Since we have both of Muramasa and Parquet was released at this week, I decided to make this week VNTS Review title as 'Full Metal Gorilla'. As for the reason 'Full Metal' here is should be obvious in that it's Muramasa translated full title (Full Metal Daemon Muramasa), while for 'Gorilla' it's because we have Touyama Nao voicing Parquet heroine and for the info she also voiced Chitoge at Nisekoi anime in that Chitoge got the nickname 'Gorilla'. As for this week, the most obvious biggest release here would be Muramasa in which it's one of very well received VN that many did wish for it to be translated. Other than Muramasa, we also have Nekonyan released Parquet and Mangagamer did release Uchikano as well, so overall this week is quite a big one if we talk from the number of the release. Let's see what I can write in regard of this week as well.
    We also have Sayooshi full English translation patch in which it's very surprising because it's from the new translator instead of the old one. The thing is though the translation was quite rough, and that the translator did delete the patch so that there's no way to get Sayooshi in English by using that patch (Although considering that it's release date was at 28th and that it took a day to be deleted safe to say that the patch was already spread through one way or another). Sayooshi itself is a denpa VN that said to have good atmosphere in that it'll featured a teacher MC who suffer some pressure when it come to become a good teacher because he find himself lusting to his female student, and from what I see apparently whether the MC can be said to be sympathetic or not is quite questionable to a degree. Anyway I can only say that you may check Sayooshi translation if you can somehow get it and curious whether the translation is really acceptable or not, although seeing that the translator decided to move on from this perhaps you should read this with caution.
    Mangagamer did released Uchikano back at 26th, and as usual they announced their next release in which they'll release Namaiki at September 30th later. I can only say it should be obvious that Mangagamer next release is not Sona-Nyl, but at least it should be good VN to look forward if one want to have three siblings of dark elves have sex with the MC who is basically their illegimate brother. Back to Uchikano, the premise of is that we'll have the MC who is the office worker somehow get to live together with his (Female) childhood friend who is about to graduate from the high school, and from there both of MC and his childhood friend will have some romance along with some sex scenes (Duh). Go get Uchikano if you're in the mood of reading some VN that feature single heroine (It seems that recently there's a lot of this kind of VNs getting translated), and have fun. Oh yes there's still no info whether Mangagamer will license the rest of Uchi series or not, but seeing that Sekai manage to get Seiiki trilogy license perhaps it's only matter of time to see Mangagamer license the rest of Uchi series.
    Speaking of Sekai, this week we also have them give the updates for their project, with the biggest one is that they manage to get Rewrite+ fully translated and edited which make sense seeing that they already set the Steam store for it and that they'll try to release it at Q4 2021 later (I'm not sure that they can do it, but still good luck to them in regard of that). For the rest of the updates, we have Kimagure was at three quarter in QA, Amairo Chocolata 2 was halfway translated, ReLord 3 was at 95% edited, Slobbish Dragon Princess 2 was fully edited, Yumeiro was at 12% translated, and Amatsutsumi was at a quarter in QA. Lastly we also have Sekai did update their secret project with the current progress was at 45% translated, and from how fast the translation work on this is perhaps the VN itself would be a short one (It would be nice if it's Nine Shinshou seeing that Palette did goes all out to make it all age in which I assume that they preparing to sell it on Steam).
    Sayooshi controversy aside, we have several updates from fan translation as well. As for the updates, we have Moe's route of Akagoei was fully translated and therefore the next route that was currently being worked on was Tsuki's route, Loverable was at 96.87% edited, Sumino's route of Snow was fully translated and the translator will translate Ouka's route next, and Taimanin Kurenai was at 35% edited. Other than those updates, we also have ZAP released the interface patch for Amayui Labyrinth Meister back at 20th so you can understand the gameplay of it if you've been wanting to play the newest Eushully's VN there. I know that there's an update in regard of Sukiuso from Kakugo translation, but I'll save the talk of it for next VNTS Review.
    We have Nekonyan did release Parquet, and as we know it's the very first Yuzusoft all age VN that they made by themselves so obviously you shouldn't worried about the censored sex scenes in case anyone wonder. For the premise we have our MC who is a blank slate that involved in an illegal experiment that uploaded a lot of memories into his brain in order to create a new being. Obviously he has a lot of confusion toward his own identity thanks to the experiment, so he decided to set himself to search his own true self. On his first step, he met two girls (The heroines) who also the victims of the experiment and from there the MC befriended two girls. While the premise sounds serious with uploading memories into brain in order to make a new being and all, in the end it's still Yuzusoft VN so of course you should enjoy the character interaction and comedy (No sex scenes for obvious reason). Go get Parquet if you want to try it or want more Yuzusoft VNs, and have fun.
    As we know the biggest release at this week is Muramasa in which we finally have JAST released it back at 25th after they teased it since way back at 2012. Muramasa itself is one of very well received VNs that said to have a lot of thought provoking theme, although whether it's true or not is depend on each other (At least late Conjueror think like that). In Muramasa we have Kageaki who is work as policeman that solve the cases, and he has a goal to kill a certain person for the revenge. It should be noted that the arc word of this VN is 'This is not a hero's story' and therefore Kageaki here is more or less like Sayooshi's MC in that whether he's sympathetic or not can be quite questionable to a degree because of his actions to reach the goals can be said as quite awful to say it lightly. Oh and don't forget that there'll be a lot of death, which make sense considering that it share same writer as Hanachirasu that also has a lot of death. Get Muramasa if you're curious on whether the good score is justified or not and want to find out about that, and have fun.
    That's all for this week VNTS Review, and see you next week.
  15. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, Random VN: Ojousama no Hanbun wa Ren'ai de Dekiteimasu   
    This game is a peculiar one.  This is the third time I've played the game, and the second time I've posted on it.  If you want to see my original review, please look here: 
     
    I'm going to focus here on coloring in some of the details of why I like this game and think it is underrated amongst Western readers of untranslated VNs.  First, the factors that lead to it being underrated.
    1) The protagonist takes on a man-whore role through large swathes of the game and isn't a pure-hearted boy by any standard.  For some reason, man-whores aren't received very well by a lot of Western readers, especially ones that are calculating and intentionally act that way.  
    2)  The visual style of the game differs significantly, if subtly, from the more common styles of the post-2010 era.  It is rougher in some places and more elegant in others.  
    3)  A large portion of the readers don't like Arika.  Now, there are good reasons not to like her in many's eyes.  She is whimsical, manipulative, and lazy as all hell when she isn't interested in an activity.  However, she is also hyper-intelligent, intuitive, and has the same kind of super-luck that Cap did in Majikoi.  Unfortunately, she is the kind of character that seriously divides readers.
    4)  People's expectations of trap protagonists.  Most people going into a trap protagonist game expect a lot of comedy antics related to the cross-dressing.  However, Hajime doesn't bungle things and doesn't panic the way a lot of trap protagonists do.  In addition, 'calculating' is a quality that many who actually like trap protagonist games don't like in them... and Hajime is nothing of not calculating.
    5)  The surprising darkness of the setting.  People go into trap protagonist games thinking they will be comedic and moe-moe festivals.  Ojomasu is neither.  There isn't a lot of comedy in the game, and there is very little in the way of moe fanservice. 
    6)  The prologue H-scene.  Probably the thing that annoys a lot of people is the h-scene in the prologue and how it came to be.  For people that go into this game with a 'I want to see pure love romance from beginning to end' attitude, this is a huge downer.  That it is followed by Hajime using the affections of a number of other women during the course of the story only enhances this impression for this part of the crowd.
    7)  Ginko isn't one of the heroines.  Yes, in any other game, Ginko would have been one of the heroines.
    The things that make this game worth playing.
    1)  Everything above.  Seriously, the fact is that a lot of the people who play this game aren't the intended audience.  In some ways, this is a more down-to-earth version of the 'guy infiltrates a girls' school' trope.
    2)  Despite only having three heroines, those heroines provide a full spectrum of personalities.  The whimsical Arika, the stoic and straightforward Benio, and the sweet-natured Peko provide a lot of variety without any real overlap.  If Ginko or Rion (the ones the largest part of the fanbase seemed to want routes for) were heroines in this game, it would distract from things greatly.  Moreover, there is way too much overlap between Ginko and Arika personality-wise.
    3)  There is just enough darkness to the setting and story to create a firm contrast to the soft atmosphere of the girls' school.  In a lot of cases with these 'girls school infiltration' VNs, there is a sense of unreality created as a result of poor buildup of the setting.  
    4)  This game doesn't even attempt to imitate the success of other companies.  I honestly think they should have named this game something else, because the title makes it seem like a game that should be a soft romance rather than the more complex story it is.
    5)  Hajime is a protagonist you can enjoy self-inserting into.  He is capable, intelligent, and ambitious, a combination that is a refreshing change from most VN protagonists in general.
  16. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, VNs I still Remember, no matter how much Time Has passed   
    This might seem like an odd choice for a blog post, but it should be noted that, after more then twelve years and seven hundred VNs, remembering each and every one is impossible.  In fact, I hardly recall roughly 70% of all the VNs I've played, and less than 10% are memorable enough that I consider replaying them once in a great while.  I'm somewhat infamous for my lists, but I figured one more wouldn't hurt.  Remember, these are the VNs I still remember to the point where I can state almost everything about what I like and hate about each.  This list is going to be split into two parts, the VNs I loved and the VNs I loved to hate.
    The VNs I loved to Hate
    Suburashiki Hibi- Yes, I hate this VN.  In truth, I hate almost everything written by Sca-ji that I've read.  Sca-ji's style drives me up the wall (for some reason, it presses all the wrong buttons), and his love of unreliable narrators only makes it worse.  Suburashiki Hibi is just the most obvious example of a VN I can't forget, even though I want to, badly.  I can admit that Suburashiki Hibi is interesting... but to me that just doesn't stop me from hating it anyway.
    Aiyoku no Eustia- For a chuunige fan like me to actually outright hate a chuunige is actually fairly difficult.  90% of the reason I eventually came to hate Eustia was because of its true/Eustia route.  I didn't like Caim's rapid personality change, the fact that elements of the setting introduced in Eustia's path make all other paths impossible, and I absolutely loathed Eustia herself (what is it with the love for the helpless and frail heroine in some games?).  That said, it doesn't change the fact that I liked most of the game before I got onto Eustia's path... but it does mean that I will never admit this is a truly great game.
    Ryuusei World Actor- Similarly to above, this is a chuunige I love to hate, despite it being memorable.  There is one simple reason for this... it was made to be a prequel rather than a whole game in and of itself.  There is no sense of completion, no satisfaction to be gained by completing this story.  In addition, it was only recently that its sequel was - finally - announced.  Worse, Kinugasa Shougo's style of never really explaining the setting, except in the most oblique of fashions, greatly harms the enjoyment of this game's plot.  In the case of his previous works, it was relatively easy to extrapolate and speculate yourself into an understanding of the setting based on what was there, but there is a definite sense that way too much is left unsaid about this setting.
    Sakura no Uta- Oddly, this is a game I thought I would have loved, given the twisted relationships and messy backstory involved.  However, once again Sca-Ji's style of presentation and love of unreliable narrators drove me nuts.  Not to mention the constant abuse of foreshadowing and repetition
    VNs I Love so much they are unforgettable
    Dies Irae- Obviously, Dies Irae is one of the penultimate chuunige ever made.  While I personally think Masada turned into a complete incompetent after KKK, there is no denying the quality of Dies Irae's narrative, its characters, and the way it seems to age so well.  Dies Irae is one of those rare VNs that doesn't suffer at all from the passing of a decade or more between its original release and now.  That isn't to say it hasn't been left behind somewhat by the conventions of the genre, but in the end, that doesn't matter as much as you would think it would.
    Fate/Stay Night- Arguably the VN that turned chuunige from a mere curiosity to an actual niche genre.  While many people have a love/hate relationship with Shirou and the Nasuverse, there is no denying that much of the game is enjoyable and it embodies most of the virtues and flaws of the early era of the genre.
    Draculius- The VN that changed my viewpoint on the harem ending and actually did vampires right (outside of the comedy, anyway).  In all honesty, before I picked it up at random, I had no idea this would become one of my most-replayed VNs of all time.  While this game has aged poorly in some ways, in others it's presentation is almost ideal.
    Evolimit- In my mind, this game is Higashide's masterpiece, the defining game of his career, whereas others will argue that it was Ayakashibito.  However, for all that I enjoyed Ayakashibito, this is the game I go back to play over and over, whenever I want my faith in JVNs revived.
    Devils Devel Concept- No, this is not the best game out there.  It is a total niche within a niche game.  I love its characters and setting, but most people would probably drop it solely based on the artwork.  Devils Devel Concept taught me that the protagonist didn't need to be the good guy to be interesting and that heroines didn't need to be fainting lilies to make a chuunige work.
    Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no- Let's be clear... visually this game has aged horribly.  It is from a much earlier era than most of the games on this list and it shows.  However, I  have to note that it is one of the single best nakige ever made.  I can still go back and cry for Tonoko, Shino, and Miyabi no matter how many times I replay it, and the sense of salvation after the end of one of those three paths, the catharsis is so strong that my stress buildup is perfectly lanced afterward.
    Houkago no Futekikakusha- I frequently give this as an example of the ideal 'hard' utsuge.  The situation the protagonist is in is hopeless from the beginning, and his suffering his pre-determined.  Moreover, when the story begins he is already broken almost beyond repair.  The way it is presented provides great catharsis, though like many hard utsuge, the setting is all over the place.
    Konata yori Kanata Made- Many consider the first Konakana to be the ideal for the 'soft' utsuge genre, and I don't generally bother to argue with them.  While similar games were made later on occasion, one can always feel the influence of this game in them, often to the point where it feels like they are almost plagiarizing parts of it.  
    Akatsuki no Goei- I have a love/hate relationship with Kinugasa Shougo.  He hates completing stories, he never explains anything unless he has to, and his endings are always open-ended unless he is coerced to make them not so.  Akatsuki no Goei (the series) embodies him at his best, with Kaito being a complex character that only appears to be your typical 'dameningen' protagonist if you aren't paying attention.
    Hapymaher- What often comes back to me about Hapymaher, compared to later Purple Soft games, was the ideal synchronicity of its aesthetic and its music.  It is very, very rare for me to bother complementing a VN on its music, since most essentially use rearrangements of old BGMs without accounting for unique themes and atmosphere.  While there are some severe obstacles to making this an easily replayable game (the Christmas arc is overwhelmingly boring the second time around), it is still a VN worth experiencing.
    Semiramis no Tenbin- Semiramis no Tenbin is an oddity.  It is a game based in a school setting in modern Japan that doesn't gloss over Japan's social flaws or exaggerate them to excess.  I say this because the Japanese are as good at pretending certain issues don't exist as we white Americans have been at pretending racism doesn't exist.  Not to mention that the beginning of this game locked it in my memory eternally.
    Nanairo Reincarnation- This is one of the few games in my VN experience that I actually out and out named a kamige on first playthrough.  I don't regret it today, and I don't think I ever will.  I could put down any number of reasons to love this game, but it is better, in this case, for readers to make their own conclusions.
    Akeiro Kaikitan- I mostly chose to keep multiple VNs by the same author and team off this list.  However, I should note that I have actually replayed Akeiro six times since its original release... despite it having been released in 2016, a mere six years ago.  I play it about once, sometimes twice a year.  Why?  Because it is still interesting no matter how many times I read it.  The presentation of the various paths is about as close to the storyteller's ideal as it is possible to get, making it difficult to get truly bored of if you put some time in between replays.
    Komorebi no Nostalgica- Say what you like about Takaya Aya, but his moments of brilliance definitely leave an impression.  Komorebi no Nostalgica is easily the best (mostly) non-action sci-fi VN I've ever read.  Ironically, the primary reason for this is how the central non-heroine character, Cinema is handled in the various paths.  It is impossible to fully explain to someone who hasn't played the game just how powerful a role Cinema plays as a supporting character as well as the game's central character, and I'm not even going to try here.
    Ayakashibito- While Evolimit is my favorite Higashide game, I can't fail to mention Ayakashibito here.  Ayakashibito is the work of a genius, and it most definitely shows.  It was also the VN that first showed Higashide's basic style, which almost always utilizes a protagonist with an intimate relationship with the true heroine that continues to thrive regardless of heroine choice.  Ayakashibito is less refined than Evolimit, but in exchange, it also feels more freeform than some of his later works.  It also established his creation of high-quality antagonists (Kuki Youkou, Shannon Wordsworth, etc).
    Ruitomo- Ruitomo is probably the most famous of all the Akatsuki Works games, for good reason.  It is a high-quality classic plotge from an era where such games were relatively plentiful, and its style was the one that defined the expectations of fans for the company's games, though they later took things in a more action-focused direction.
    Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier- This VN is one I push for weaboos who like the romanticized eras (Sengoku Jidai, Bakumatsu era, etc).  It is based in an alternate world where young Japanese women are sometimes chosen by 'demon-aura stones' that grant them immense physical powers and heightened intelligence in exchange for being unable to have children and being naturally more aggressive than is the norm.  As a result, these women are generally adopted by samurai families and raised to be bodyguards, assassins, and in various other roles normally reserved for men.  The protagonist is a young man raised by a feminized version of Kondou Isao and Hijikata Toshizo and is essentially Okita Soujirou.  It begins previous to the formation of the Roshigumi and branches off after the initial stages of the rebellion that began the collapse of Tokugawa power.  
    Sekien no Inganock- This is pretty much the only Liar Soft game I didn't have trouble playing.  In retrospect, it isn't as good as I remember it being, but it is still enjoyable.
    Majikoi- Say what you want about Majikoi.  Various people either love or hate it and everything by Minato Soft, but I personally think it was an excellent base that they used effectively to milk the setting.  Later games and fandiscs added depth to the characters and expanded the cast, and this, the original was a great game (in my eyes) in itself.
    Grisaia- Probably the most popular VN to introduce VNs to newbies now that Tsukihime and FSN have become so dated as to be almost unreadable for new people.  Like many VNs that got translated, it has a lot of people either worshipping or hating on it, but its quality (in Japanese) is undeniable.
    Soukou Akki Muramasa- Easily the best game Nitroplus has ever produced.  While it is a heavy read, it is also a VN worth reading at least once, if you have the mastery of Japanese to do so.  However, it is also emotionally draining, so many who start it never finish it.
    Hello, Lady- I could have chosen any of Akatsuki Works' chuunige, but with the final version of the game that includes the FD routes and the new true route, this game has easily become my favorite Hino Wataru game.
    Kitto Sumiwataru Asairo yori mo- A game by Shumon Yuu.  Nothing else needs to be said.  Play it, or you aren't a true JVN fanboy.
    Tenshi no Hane o Fumanaide- An oddball sort of chuunige by Shumon Yuu.  This one is fully voiced (protagonist included) and has a solid story and cast of characters.  
    Silverio Trinity- of the three Silverio games, I'll say right off that this is the one I liked the most.  While Vendetta has some great moments, Trinity is where I thought the setting first came alive truly.
    Sakura, Moyu- Honestly, I think this is the best VN, by far, that Favorite has produced.  I cried more while I played this game than in all the other games combined, and I was more emotionally invested in the story than any of them by far.
     
  17. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, VN of the Month July 2010 - Second Novel ~ Kanojo no Natsu, 15fun no Kioku~   
    Wow, I'm going to call as many as three games masterpieces this month - Tasogare no Sinsemilla , Para-Sol and Second Novel ~ Kanojo no Natsu, 15fun no Kioku~ . And the last one is something special, so it wins. It's definitely in my review queue. Micchi awaits cuteness from Sugar+Spice2 and fandiscs.  
    1. Executor Script エグゼクタースクリプト [100702] Triangle In a world where some people possess magic-like special abilities, Yamahito is a student who can use a power called ‘executor’. Together with his friend Shin they cause a commotion and one day, they were defeated by a girl named Primity Lumina, sent by the international organization Aproca to protect against ill-use of abilities. A few days later, Shin starts to use his powers to destroy the town to conquer the world. Primity Lumina approaches him to request his help in defeating Shin, while Shin also wanted him to join his side. Which he give in to the dark side or fight for justice alongside a cute bishoujo? Card battles is all I need to know about this game.  
    2. Fate/Extra [100722] Type-Moon 1 2 3 4 5 6 According to Nasu, Fate/EXTRA is a JRPG which takes place set in an alternate universe that split from the Fate/stay night timeline in the 1980s to 1990s. The Story is set in the in a school called Tsukumihara Academy, a fictional place existing with an artificial environment called the Moon Cell. There, the Moon Cell orchestrates a replication of the Holy Grail War using a system called Serial Phantasm or SE.RA.PH, which handles the summoning of Servants. Servant data is taken from the Automaton (Moon Cell Automaton), a spiritual computer system built on the lunar surface by a pre-human civilization and discovered by humans in the year 2032. The Automaton has monitored and recorded all occurrences on the Earth (including the activities of human heroes) since time immemorial. In this sense, it is similar to the Throne of Heroes, but it's possible to summons beings which aren't present in the Throne. Each of the 128 participants in the war must duel the other Masters in a place called the Arena, where failure results in deletion from both the real and digital worlds. When only one remains, the "Holy Grail" shall grant the victor's wish. RPG is localized and has English reviews  
    3. Tasogare no Sinsemilla 黄昏のシンセミア [100722] Applique 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11  There’s a legend about an angel’s robe in the scenic town of Minakami-mura, in the middle of which there is a large shrine. An university student, Kousuke, visits his mother’s hometown during the summer break to do some part-time and reacquaints with some old friends while also meeting some new ones. However, their normal lives are altered by the presence of a mythic drug that can cause living beings to become abnormal. This is the local story of the monster named Yamawaro. There are English reviews  
    4. Trick x Logic Season 1 [100722] Chunsoft 1 After being pushed off of a building, prodigy prosecutor Yoshikawa Itsuki wakes up in Hell. Where the judge of human souls, Yama, asks Yoshikawa for his help with some unsolved cases. Yama usually reads a record of human deeds, the Akasha, to pass judgement on human souls, but in some cases he can't figure out whodunnit just by reading the Akasha. Hence the need for Yoshikawa's mind. He is to read the Akasha and figure out the culprit. If he cooperates, Yama promises to return him to the land of the living. There is an English review.  
    5. Albatross Koukairoku 信天翁航海録 [100723] raiL-soft 1 2 3 4 Aboard the Albatross is an odd captain and an equally crazy crew. With no map in hand, they sail to unknown islands, meet ghost ships and cross paths with giant monster fish. No one knows where they are heading… including the captain. But they still all stay together since there’s no other place for them. There are English reviews.  
    6. Classy ☆ Cranberry's クラ☆クラ CLASSY☆CRANBERRY’S [100723] Atelier Kaguya P-ch  1   The protagonist, Honda Rei is the only son of the world-famous Honda zaibatsu. While his genius scientist mother and his world renowned actor father are often busy abroad, he has his sister-in-law, an attractive college student, his childhood friend and best friend with him leading fun happy student lives. They attend a school for the ultra wealthy elite where the majority of the students are sons or daughters of financial heavyweights. However, there are also commoners attending the school, possible due to scholarships, too. Once, Rei saved a commoner student from a predicament and they became close because of it. And then comes the turning point. The school's boast, the legendary event, the "Advent Festival". Besides the fact that its events are different from normal schools' festivals, it has a school wide ball participated by all students. The center-point of which are the year's so called MVP, two students which are given the title of "Prince" and "Princess". It's not only a high honor, there's a well known legend that the two people selected will be forever tied to each other living happy lives. As expected Rei was selected as the prince. Unfortunately they have difficulty selecting the princess. The school chairman said, "I leave the decision on who would be the princess to you." Who would he select as the princess? You are invited to this erotic and moe ball! There is an English review.  
    7. Geki Tama! ~Seiryou Gakuen Engeki Bu~ げきたま! ~青陵学園演劇部~ [100723] Cassiopeia  Ikumi transfers to Seiryou Gakuen, situated at the foot of Mount Fuji, in the second school term. He is approached by drama club members Kikka, Rin and Yurina, who force him to join their club, which is short on members and is in danger of being closed. Even though he has never acted in a play before, they were all highly expecting him to help out. Then suddenly, something strange happened and he was possessed by the spirit of a general from the Sengoku! Will the play at the school fair be able to go smoothly now!? Moege. If you ask about discerning features, it's theater club theme that is focused mostly in final fourth route.  
    8. Gothderi -Gothic Delusion- ゴスデリ -GOTHIC DELUSION- [100723] Lose 1  Takamichi’s is troubled by his unsuccessful career as a teacher. One night he comes across a girl alone on the side of the road. She introduces herself as Lo, and acts unexpectedly mature and collected. After taking her to a police station, Takamichi leaves her in the hands of the authorities, when an explosion engulfs the station in flames. Unfortunately, the explosion is just the beginning of the hunt: Lo has become the target of bounty hunters. Takamichi returns to the police station and Lo, convinced by Takamichi’s determination to help her at the risk of his own life, invites him to become her minion. There is an English review.  
    9. Ore no Tamanokoshi ni Notte Kure ~ Itoko to Maid to Kouhai to Senpai to Sensei to ~ 俺のタマノコシに乗ってくれ~従妹とメイドと後輩と先輩と先生と~ [100723] Patisserie Kousuke is just an average student. But one day, he is kidnapped by some men on his way home and taken to a big house. The man in front of him says, "You, take over my position!" His a little bit erotic and slapstick life now starts.... It's not clear from the description, but it's inevitably a nukige. Basically, we get kidnapped and delivered to a rich lady house who eagerly learns things from common life from absolutely horrible protagonist.  
    10. Para-Sol [100723] Root 1 2   "Now", let's talk about the future for a little bit. In an SF world where cyborgs and androids are near reality, for some reason rumors of fantastic creatures such as werewolf and dragons started to spread. That time, one girl silently sent a mail to an unknown someone. A mail that's unknown to reach someone. Written inside is only one sentence. "Save Our Ship" But, by a stroke of luck the mail definitely reached somewhere. And, the girl received a reply. "wilco" There are English reviews.  
    11. GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class: Slapstick Wonderland GA 芸術科アートデザインクラス Slapstick WONDERLAND [100729] Russell Inside an airplane heading for Japan, Mari is clutching a sketchbook which once belonged to her grandma, who is now deceased. The sketches on it are what her grandma had drawn before she died, reminiscing about the days spent in Japan. To color the sketches: a promise Mari made with her grandma. What will be Japan like, the country the grandma so much loved? Feeling hopes and fears, Mari drifts off to sleep. The place she is heading toward as a short-term international student is GA (Geijutsuka Art Design Class). What kind of story will unfold, casting Mari and the members of GA? Anime spin-off  
    12. Memories Off: Yubikiri no Kioku メモリーズオフ ゆびきりの記憶 [100729] KID 1 2   The player takes on the role of Naoki Serizawa, the protagonist of Yubikiri no Kioku. Naoki used to live at Chinatsu's home but is now living alone. Naoki is a second year student at the private Tourin high school. Chinatsu Amakawa is also a second year student at the private Tohrin high school and is a classmate of Naoki's. As Chinatsu is concerned about Naoki at all times, she commutes to school with him and is always around him during school hours. Kasumi Nagumo is a runaway girl who suddenly arrived at the doorsteps of Naoki's place and is forcibly living with him at the moment. Orihime Hoshitsuki is the new math teacher for Naoki's class at Tourin high school. Lisa Caycy Foster is an American girl who has gone to Japan to study abroad temporarily. Lisa works part-time at a restaurant called Fuuruuyan and is where he meets Naoki. Lisa's reason for studying in Japan is because of her interest in Japanese history and culture. Shiina Kodou is a first year student at Tourin high school. She is very outgoing and loves gossips. There is an English review  
    13. Second Novel ~ Kanojo no Natsu, 15fun no Kioku~ セカンドノベル ~彼女の夏、15分の記憶~ [100729] Nippon Ichi 1 2 3  "Do you know this story?" Ayano starts telling a story. The scene is high school and characters named Ayano and Yuichi appear.... Naoya and Ayano trace back their high school life through her story. In the summer of the second grade, Naoya lost two important things. One is Yuichi, his close friend. He fell down from the top of the school building and lost his life... Also, Ayano, whom Naoya loved, fell down from the top of the school building as if following Yuichi. Five years later... Ayano can remember things only for fifteen minutes. She still doesn't know why she fell down. The story Ayano tells is about her high school life. By knowing the fact, he might be able to find the truth behind Yuichi's death and Ayano's behavior... There are English reviews.  
    14. Bunny Black [100730] SofthouseChara 1 2 3 4 5 Dierks is a perverted adventurer entered a labyrinth known as the Maou’s forest and was defeated by the maou himself. But taking pity on him, the maou kindly recruited him as part of this demon army. Given a second chance, Dierks has two goals: to rise in the ranks of the demon army, and to defeat and have sex with those girls who come to attack the maou. RPG has English reviews  
    15. Enbou no Felshis ~Horizon of the Earth and Sky~ 遠望のフェルシス Horizon of the earth and sky [100730] Ninetail 1 2 The Emilia Republic is situated on the northeast area of the Reindil continent. In the eastern town of Felshis is Voromia National Academy, which is well-known for training adventurers. Adventurers specialize in searching for and retrieving an important resource to all nations: dragon bones. Many young people aspire to be adventurers for different reasons: to satiate their curiosity, to become rich, to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps, to envision a world they have never seen. RPG has English reviews.  
    16. Motto Nee, Chanto Shiyou yo! もっと 姉、ちゃんとしようよっ! [100730] Candy Soft 1 2 3 4  Souma goes to an all-boys school by himself in Hokkaido. One day, he received a call from one of his older sisters, telling him that their father had become sick and collapsed. He quickly returns to Hakkakubashi and seeing his five downcast sisters and sickly father, he decided to stay to take care of his father. There are English reviews  
    17. Nanapuri. ななプリ。 [100730] TopCat Enor lives by himself in the wilderness of the Gullfoss continent. One day, he came upon a fallen girl by a nearby riverside and took her home to take care of her. Her name is Katarina and she is actually the Seventh Princess Edelweiss’ personal knight. They were pursued by attackers and now the princess is missing, so Katarina asks Enor to pretend to be the princess. So, he dresses up as a girl and goes on a journey together with her. It only looks like a fantasy plotge. In reality scenario is based on the seven princesses that we visit one by one through the loop (although only three get visited as a result). Same heavy repetitive development as in previous Topcat game.  
    18. Sora o Aogite Kumo Takaku 空を仰ぎて雲たかく [100730] Debo no Su Seisakusho 1 Adonis practiced under Danang to be a dragon trainer. One day, he came upon a young dragon girl Mint in the forest. She calls him papa, but it seems that she doesn’t remember anything except her own name. He takes her to his master’s house, where Danang tells her that as a dragon trainer, he was destined to meet her. They set out on a journey to discover her memories. RPG has English reviews  
    19. Steal My Heart ~Rhapsody of Moonlight~ すてぃーるMyはぁと~Rhapsody of moonlight~ [100730] Palette 1 Akitomo enjoys his peaceful school life, but one night, he met a mysterious thief and his world suddenly changed. All the unexplainable events and environment changes made him totally confused. What fate awaits him in the future? Phantom thief setting is not utilized properly outside of one route with other routes devoted to normal  heroines. Scenario is plain weak..  
    20. Sugar+Spice 2 [100730] ChuableSoft 1 2 Hibiki moves in with his older sister after his father went abroad for business. However, his cousin Fuuka also lived there and he worried about being able to get along with her since they are unfamiliar with each other. However, they get along nicely. One day, Fuuka asks him to come shopping with her and a friend since they need help carrying bags. He agrees, but when he arrives, he meets a senpai who he admires, Ginga. She asks him why he’s here and what he wants to do. Realizing that he doesn’t have a goal or a dream to pursue, Hibiki decides to begin living with a new purpose. There are English reviews.  
    21. Vestige -Yaiba ni Nokoru wa Kimi no Omokage- Vestige―刃に残るは君の面影― [100730] Alcot Honey Comb Kurou was reading a book in the library when he saw his older sister Shizu fall from the roof. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt badly. Kuro and their osananajimi Ruri are happy that she’s fine and don’t ask her what happened. Later, he finds out from his classmate Wakaba that she was fighting against some mysterious men. It is because they are after him, as he possesses the elixir of immortality ‘ochimizu’, so he decides to take part in the battle as well. Youkai confrontation work with lack of explanations and persuasive power.  
     
    BLOCKED   1. Shin Koihime † Musou ~Moeshouden~ 真・恋姫†無双~萌将伝~ [100723] BaseSon 1 2 
    Moeshouden is the final game in the Koihime series. In this fandisk, there’s no more fighting among the factions. Instead, all 52 heroines fight for Kazuto’s love. Or maybe he can settle for a harem in the true sense of the word.
    Fandisc   2. Muv-Luv Alternative Chronicles Vol.1 マブラヴ オルタネイティヴ クロニクルズ01 [100730] Age 1 2 3 4 5 6  New chronicles of Muv-Luv universe featuring director cut verisons of previously released Chicken Divers and Rain Dancers, along with a brand new Muv-Luv Unlimited The Day After, which details what happened following the end of Muv-Luv Unlimited. There’s also desktop accessories, movies and radio clips.
    Fandisc     3. Ore-tachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai AfterStory 俺たちに翼はない AfterStory [100730] Navel 1  
    This Oretsuba fandisk has after stories for each of the 4 heroines, plus over 20 short-stories, a new OP and ED, as well as character songs and a tachi-e and scenery viewer. Also, the protagonists will be voiced except during H scenes!
    Fandisc   4. Otome Renshin Prister Fandisc ~Motto H ni Koi Seyo Otome!~ 乙女恋心プリスターFANDISC ~もっとHに恋せよ乙女!~ [100730] Escu:de
    This is the fandisc for Prister, with after stories for each of the 12 heroines, another stories for 6 popular subheroines, as well as a possible harem route.
    Fandisc
  18. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to onorub for a blog entry, Random Top 100, brand new decade edition   
    Previous: https://forums.fuwanovel.net/blogs/entry/2871-random-top-100-one-year-later/
     
    Managed to replace one fourth of the list again, which surprised me as i thought i would take at least two years for that. I will probably take 3 to 5 years to replace another fourth, as i read tons of top tiers in the last 14 months. Like before, "not a be-all-end-all list by any means and i care about choice-making gameplay a lot more than other VN fans do, so if some of my placements look ridiculous, that's why."
    youtube playlist version: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYFP5FO6EHdqvR4S0KWZDMllPXy3hZjaY (again, will update it along with the list in case one fourth is replaced)
    New entries are underlined.
     
    VNs i consider “borderline great”:
    100) Kizuato (fun characters, great introductory route, great set of joke endings)
    99) Hello, world (overall fun story, great set of normal endings)
    98) Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (great world building and plot twists, good characters)
    97) Gekkou no Carnevale (good atmosphere, fun characters and story)
    96) Flowers: Volume sur Printemps (great art, charming characters, good use of mystery-solving)
    95) Flowers: Volume sur Automne (great art, charming characters, amazing slice-of-life)
    94) Dies Irae: Interview with Kaziklu Bey (great art and fight scenes)
    93) Baldr Force (good world-building and story)
    92) Ayakashi Gohan (favorite prologue in the genre, fun common route)
    91) Air (good story and characters, good soundtrack)
    90) The Letter (favorite branch system for a linear story)
    89) Symphonic Rain (charming art and soundtrack, great at subverting expectations)
    88) SeaBed (amazing atmosphere, interesting story)
    87) Raging Loop (great ending system and atmosphere, entertaining characters)
    86) We Without Wings (fun character interactions, good atmosphere)
    85) Narcissu (good story and ending buildup)
    84) Monster Girl Quest Paradox RPG (great rpg gameplay and world-building)
    83) Machi (amazing production values, fun story and characters)
    82) Iwaihime (good atmosphere and production values)
    81) Dengeki Stryker (entertaining story, great middle route)
    80) Collar x Malice (entertaining story, good set of villains)
    79) Chrono Belt (good atmosphere, story and fight scenes)
    78) Chaos;Head Noah (entertaining characters and choice-making, great main plot twist, good world building)
    77) Caucasus (great atmosphere and ending system)
    76) Rui wa Tomo o Yobu (entertaining characters, fun atmosphere)
    75) Remember11 (good characters, great ending system, interesting ending)
    74) Ourai no Gahkthun (good atmosphere and characters)
    73) Nijuuei (fun story, good atmosphere)
    72) Monster Girl Quest Trilogy (amazing gameplay, good story and characters)
    71) Kusarihime (amazing atmosphere and background usage, good characters and endings)
    70) Kurai Nichiyoubi (amazing ending system and atmosphere)
    69) Kajiri Kamui Kagura (interesting characters and story, fun fight scenes)
    68) Jingai Makyou (amazing ending system, fun story)
    67) Battle Goddess Verita (good story, great RPG gameplay)
    66) The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence (good story and characters, amazing art)
    65) Eiyuu*Senki (great gameplay, fun characters)
    VNs i consider “near-classics”:
    64) Ayakashibito (good world building, entertaining fight scenes and characters)
    63) Ayakashi (amazing production values, fun story)
    62) Angel Beats 1st Beat [2/4 routes done] (amazing choice-making, fun characters)
    61) Akaya Akashiya Ayakashino (great atmosphere and endings, entertaining characters)
    60) Akai Ito (entertaining protagonist, good atmosphere, favorite OP song)
    59) 3days (great choice-making, good multiple route mystery)
    58) 11eyes (good characters and fight scenes, great atmosphere)
    57) Tsujidou-san no Jun’ai Road (entertaining characters, good choice-making)
    56) Senshinkan Gakuen Hachimyoujin (fun characters, fight scenes and story)
    55) Sekien no Inganock (great art, great atmosphere, good characters)
    54) Sakura no Uta [1/5 routes done] (great atmosphere, interesting characters)
    53) Saihate no Ima (amazing atmosphere, interesting story)
    52) Root Double (amazing choice-making system, good true ending)
    51) Planetarian (good pairing, great dialogue)
    50) Virtue’s Last Reward (great ending system, good multiple route mystery)
    49) 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (entertaining characters, good true ending)
    48) Kira Kira [2/4 routes done] (good characters, fun common route)
    47) ef a fairy tale of the two (great story in the second half, good characters)
    46) Chaos;Child (good choice-making system, good characters, good story)
    45) Bullet Butlers (amazing world-building, fun characters)
    44) 428: Shibuya Scramble (fun characters and story, amazing choice-making, greatest production values in the genre)
    43) Summer Pockets (fun common route, entertaining characters and story, great choice-making)
    42) Sharin no Kuni (favorite single villain, great story, great plot twist)
    41) Kara no Shoujo (great atmosphere, good mystery-solving)
    40) Aselia The Eternal (great world-building and New Game+ content)
    39) Cartagra (great art, entertaining characters, great endings)
    38) Aoishiro (great choice-making, entertaining bad ending branches on some routes)
    37) White Album 2: Introductory and Closing Chapters (fascinating characters, fun story and atmosphere)
    36) The Fruit of Grisaia (entertaining characters, good endings)
    35) Code: Realize (amazing common route, entertaining story and characters)
    34) Chou no Doku Hana no Kusari [3/5 routes done] (great atmosphere and protagonist, favorite set of bad endings, greatest use of soap opera elements)
    VNs i consider “classics”:
    33) Taishou Mebiusline (great route variety, good ending system, favorite song in the genre)
    32) Rose Guns Days (great story and characters, charming art)
    31) Mahoutsukai no Yoru (amazing production values, good story)
    30) Kamidori Alchemy Meister (great RPG gameplay, amazing New Game+ content)
    29) Battle Goddess Zero (favorite story in a VN-RPG hybrid)
    28) Cross Channel (fun characters, great choice-making and ending)
    27) Baldr Sky Dive1&2 (fun gameplay, story and world-building)
    26) Swan Song (amazing atmosphere, good story and characters)
    25) Steins;Gate 0 (good story and characters, great use of true ending)
    24) Sengoku Rance (entertaining characters, most replayable work in the genre due to amazing gameplay)
    23) Rewrite (entertaining characters, good story)
    22) Phantom of Inferno (entertaining story and characters, great atmosphere, great action scenes)
    21) Yumina The Ethereal (entertaining story, amazing use of multiple routes for a VN-RPG hybrid, great true ending)
    20) Kichikuou Rance (amazing gameplay and world-building)
    19) Kara no Shoujo 2 (great mystery, entertaining characters, great true ending, favorite ED song)
    18) G-Senjou no Maou (great true route, great soundtrack, favorite set of villains)
    17) Song of Saya (favorite atmosphere, amazing use of endings, fascinating characters)
    16) Muv Luv Alternative (great action scenes, great sci-fi atmosphere)
    15) YU-NO (amazing route system, good story and characters)
    14) Higurashi When They Cry + Kai (amazing story, great characters and soundtrack)
    13) Dies Irae (favorite fight scenes, entertaining characters and story)
    VNs i consider “classics among classics”:
    12) Umineko When They Cry + Chiru (favorite story, favorite soundtrack, great characters)
    11) Wonderful Everyday (great story, good mystery, good characters, great alternate endings)
    10) FullMetal Daemon Muramasa (great fight scenes, amazing protagonist, favorite antagonist buildup)
    9) The House in Fata Morgana (amazing story, favorite CG and character art, good choice-making, great soundtrack)
    8. Tsukihime (amazing choice-making, amazing atmosphere, great characters)
    7) MajiKoi (favorite overall character cast, most consistently entertaining work in the genre)
    6) Little Busters (favorite common route, great true route, favorite post-true end content)
    5) Hashihime of the Old Book Town [1/5 routes done] (amazing visual/sound directing and atmosphere, favorite protagonist, dialogues, monologues and written route)
    4) Ever17 (great story, favorite multiple route mystery, great true ending)
    VNs i consider “all-time greatests”
    3) Steins;Gate (great story, entertaining characters, favorite pairing, favorite ending)
    2) Fate/Stay Night (great story, favorite ending system, favorite overall route, favorite single choice)
    1) Clannad (favorite route system, high amount of optional scenes, amazing After Story, fully explores choice-making in a school drama setting)
    Top vnstat recommends:
    1) Aiyoku no Eustia
    2) Rance Quest through 10
    3) Baldr Heart
    4) Hanachirasu
    5) Kishin Hishou Demonbane
    6) Irotoridori no Sekai&Hikari
    7) Steins;Gate Phenogram&Darling
    8. Sumaga
    9) Outlaw Django
    Closing thoughts: After i finished Muramasa at the beginning of 2020, i seriously thought i could quit reading VNs without a shred of guilt because nothing would even sniff my top 5 again. Then Hashihime blew my mind and made me fall in love with the genre all over again. The fact that a doujin BL that a few hundred people would know about had it never gotten translated managed to get such a reaction out of me made it clear that a masterpiece can come from absolutely anywhere and now i'm on that rabbit hole more than ever in a way that it might take a ton of disappointments for me to get burned out ever again, specially now that i'm reading tons of untranslated stuff.
  19. Thanks
    Dreamysyu reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, Thank you all for coming along for this ride! (Indefinite Hiatus)   
    Hey there all!
     
    I will start with saying  that I really treasure my time spent writing this blog and interacting with various people involved in the EVN community. You guys were awesome company in this journey and despite the obscurity of this project, I feel like it benefited me personally in many ways and maybe even helped people appreciate the value within the non-JP visual novel scene. I'm really thankful to all the people that read my blog, the devs that offered me their time and gave me their games for review – they all made these 2+ years into something special.
    When I started this project, there were two main things that motivated me. The first one was the frustration over dismissal of EVNs which is still common sense in the large parts of the VN fan community – belittling of the very games that made me fall in love with the visual novel formula. I wanted to create a space that is fully dedicated to discussion and promotion of EVNs as worthwhile and significant part of the genre. The second part was even more personal – my personal struggles with video game addiction and other issues, my ambition to shift my focus into a more challenging and creative activity. In many ways, I consider both my goals relative successes. While slowly, the perception of EVNs is changing and the scene evolving in interesting ways – while it shares pretty much all the suffering of other indie niches, with PC gaming in general being oversaturated and hard to navigate, I feel that it at least established itself as a significant formula that is attractive for story-oriented devs and appreciated by a significant audience. In other words, EVNs are here to stay and in time fewer and fewer people will be able to easily dismiss them as poor imitations of Japanese games. Whether my work had any impact in this regard? Apart from a bunch of people on Fuwanovel that I know I influenced in personal interactions, I honestly have no idea. I want to think there was some minor impact, but I had enough fun in the process and learned enough that I don't mind either way. I did my best and changed a few things about myself, which was the most important part for me.
    Of course, I'm in no way saying that I'm putting the blog on hiatus because my job here is done. The real reason is much more prosaic – I just can't keep up with it. The last month was particularly devastating in this regard, with very little time for me to either read or write. And while an obvious answer would be to just work at my own pace and publish stuff whenever I'm able to, it's not really something that would work out for me. Missing deadlines, thinking about future projects, it all became a source of stress rather than a source of fun, and I feel it would only get worse with time. While I really wanted to keep the project alive, I don't want to do so at any cost. I feel burned out. I barely read VNs for fun. I don't watch anime for a few months now. I need a change of pace and ability to rediscover my love for these hobbies. The blog, sadly, became a prime obstacle in this.
    So, what's going to happen now? The blog will cease to get updates, unless something special happens. I might still do game jam summaries, as those are something I massively enjoy. I might also publish something on Fuwanovel from time to time – I'm theoretically still an editor there. The one part of the project that's definitely here to stay is the Steam Curator account. The devs that sent me their games deserve to at least get a Steam review and, generally, an evaluation of their work. I will also use my Twitter to publish updates about new games listed on the Curator account. The Steam reviews themselves will likely be a bit more polished – not that much though, I don't want to jump straight into the same burnout-inducing rabbit whole.
     
    So, once more, thank you for sticking around and I hope my project gave you some amusement. And, of course, see you around – I'm not giving up on EVNs and the community around them any time soon.
  20. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to alpacaman for a blog entry, Umineko's opening scene   
    The recent discussions about Umineko here on the forum made me want to pick up the whole damn thing again. Only this time I'm going spend even more time on it because I'm taking notes. I'll take the game's advice though and not focus on the howdunnits (which it argues are trivial and unimportant), but rather on what meaning is hidden inbetween. I'm doing this mostly for myself, though every now and then I might feel like turning my thoughts and interpretations into a blog post like this one.
    The German realist author Theodor Fontane (1819-1898) once said "the first chapter is always the main point, and within the first chapter the first page, almost the first line." While I think he is exaggerating a little bit and tbh I only opened with a quote of his to get a chance to mention how much I hate his writing (some of his novels are required reading in high-school in parts of Germany), it is true that the opening to a novel or any piece of fictional media can be a more important part of the work than it is often given credit for. Which brings us to Umineko's first scene. While it might not be the most spectacular example out there, I think it does what it sets out to do so well that it is worth taking a look at it from an analytical standpoint. I'm going to mention one or two twists that happen at later points in the VN, so you might not want read any further if you do not want to get spoiled.
    The scene takes place at an unspecified point in time in Kinzo's study with him, Nanjo (his doctor) and Genji (his head servant) present. It starts out with Nanjo telling Kinzo to lay off the alcohol as the medicine he prescribed to keep him alive won't work otherwise. Kinzo responds by saying the liquor (which has a sweet scent and a venomous green colour) has been with him longer than Nanjo, and that it is what is actually keeping him alive, not the medicine. Then he orders Genji to serve him another glass, but water it down a bit. Kinzo asks Nanjo how much time he has left, to which the doctor replies by comparing it to their chess match which is apparently entering its final stages and where Kinzo managed to corner Nanjo's king.  The physician suggests Kinzo should write a will, which the latter one heavily objects to: "...And what is a will, Nanjo? Handwritten instructions to the vultures on how to devour and scatter my corpse?" He wants to leave nothing behind and insists everything he built up during his life shall disappear with him, as it is part of the deal he made. He goes on to speak about his only regret, which is not being able to see the smile of the witch Beatrice once more, resulting in him screaming at thin air offering his remaining life to her for her to appear before him one last time. Opening Credits roll.
    The main thread running through the scene is a lingering conflict between what is "real" and what isn't, already introducing one of the main themes of the VN. This starts with the setting and props: There is no real indication if what you see takes place in the real world or some fantasy realm nor does it properly fit into any specific timeframe. The occult study, Kinzo's gown and the venomous green liquor all make the whole scene look surreal, but then there is also a real world physician doing standard medical examinations. In this sense the whole dialogue between Nanjo and Kanzo can be read as a conflict between material reality and fantasy, with Nanjo and his medicine or science representing the former and Kinzo having completely embraced the latter. Nanjo tries to bring Kinzo to care about his own physical wellbeing and his remains (stand-ins for material reality), both of which the latter one doesn't care at all about. The liquor in this context is basically a metaphor for fantasy. It has an inviting scent but looks like venom. It poisons Kinzo and according to him is what actually keeps him alive at the same time. His addiction turns his health and life miserable (as well as those of his children), while it is also what keeps him going. The booze or rather fantasy keeping him alive is also rather funny imo considering we later learn that, while he is part of all the "non-real" scenarios, in "real life" he has already been dead for quite a while. [It has been some time since I read the VN the first time so I don't really remember if the booze motif gets used at other points but it is one of the things I am going to keep an eye on this time around.]
    One of the main and more obvious purposes of an opening scene is to make the audience want to read on, usually by using a narrative hook. In this case it is the question about Beatrice's existence. You immediately ask yourself what the deal is with a witch that might or might not be real and that some weird and menacing old man is apparently trying to summon. Her (non-)presence is one of the main threads running through the whole VN and it gets established in the very first scene. This hook also ties right back into the overarching uncertainty of the scene about what is "real" and thus one of the main themes of the VN.
    The whole scene imo exemplifies pretty well what Umineko excels at, namely tying its separate narrative layers together. From the outset, characterization, plot, horror, fantasy, metaphor and theme are never truly separable but form a coherent and interwoven whole. I only implicitely talked about characterization and didn't even talk about why Genji is present in the scene at all or about the introduction of the chess motif (or the Kinzo being dead before the end of the game part). But since I already spent too much time writing this I'll keep it with one of Umineko's core messages and let you figure out how these things tie into the rest yourselves.
  21. Thanks
    Dreamysyu reacted to mitchhamilton for a blog entry, The Grisaia Series is Kind of Genius   
    Until it's not. HA! GOT YOU, YOU STUPID SHIT! I pulled you into false sense of security and BAM! subverted your expectations! 
     
    Before you go on, I want you to know that this will have spoilers to all 3 The Fruit of Grisaia games so quickly read all of them and come back if you haven't already.
     
    But anyways, I decided to delve a little bit into the anime of Grisaia no Kajitsu and while the opening text displayed over each character as they are presented on screen I began to think about my own interpretation of the characters from the series and how it does a great job of somewhat subverting the anime/visual novel trope with it's characters. Feels like this is what Doki Doki Literature Club tried to do but instead of being smart it instead did "hey, reader, wouldn't be weird if one of the cute girls started bleeding from their eyes? Pretty creepy for a visual novel with cute anime girls set in a school environment." But Grisaia somewhat embraces these tropes and turns them on their head. Instead of taking place in a high school environment where only a few characters matter and therefor have actual names and faces it takes the approach of having it still set in a high school where literally only the important characters exist since there's no one else in the school!
     
    I've honestly never noticed the subtle genius of this on Grisaia's part. How many visual novels have you read where the entire school is nothing but background noises? They do away with the pointlessness of background characters altogether and make them literally isolated because that's pretty much how it is in every VN. It's this type of subtlety I enjoy from an almost parody to visual novels.
     
    Well, what about the character's themselves? Well, I'm glad you asked, me! You have the usual character tropes in Grisaia, sure. There's the tsundere, the unapproachable one, the obedient one, the slut, the loli, all of whom who you expect certain traits from but again, it subverts your expectations.
     
    The tsundere takes on a facade to hide her own identity, so her own action of trying to be a tsundere is simply so she can hide the real part of her. Christopher Nolan must be turning in his grave thinkign he couldn't come up with a character this deep in cliches! The unapproachable girl is so unapproachable that she tries to kill Yuuji, LITERALLY! The obedient one acts like the childhood friend because... well, she is and even goes to far as to dress up as a maid. The slut instantly attaches herself to the MC and offers her body, not out of her own personal feelings but because she feels she needs to be punished. The loli's character is a result of her abuse as a child  causing her to be emotionally stunted.
     
    All characters have an underlining dark reason for why they fall into these cliches which pulls the reader in to learn more and honestly, I'm sad I never caught any of this in my first or second read through of the series. It's so well done, so subtle that it makes me really appreciate the first VN more looking back on it and I'm glad I went back to the anime to remember all this.
     
    ...And then the sequels came out. 
     
    Yeah, remember that first bit of this blog? If not, might want to scroll up some. It's the bit about bringing you into a salse fense of security.
     
    Yeah, you read that right and I did that on purpose. What are you gonna do now?
     
    My comrades @DarkZedge and @Dergonu informed me that later entries in the series involved Yuuji ending up in a harem with every girl. I don't know how to look at this angle as more than fan service and undermining the emotional investment I had with the characters, especially when the first one was doing so well in NOT succumbing to your typical visual novel tropes, although there was the  Makina's sex scenes with Yuuji where this emotionally damaged girl is having sex with someone who she views as her papa shivers but then the sequels do fall into the biggest trope of all, the "everyone wants the MC's dick" trope. Every girl who he slightly breathes in the direction of wants to be a part of his life.
     
    This cliche has infested the anime, manga, and visual novel world like a cancer and in visual novels its more acceptable since you project yourself into the character more often than not and therefor feel fulfilled as a person while your visual novel counter part is fully filling your waifus with his massive love!
     
    But I digress. Grisaia felt smarter than that, I felt more respect for the character's before I learned they all fell into this overused trope. I feel like the series went on for one more visual novel long than it should have, like The Hobbit movies. We get a whole backstory of Yuuji's training, his life with his master which was nice but to top it all off we get a plot about a father figure of his coming back and causing a mess with all the girls coming together to save him in the end, or something.
     
    You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I feel like I remember nothing about the 3rd one, aside from a fight with the dude, and seeing his sister again but when I do think back on it I just feel like it wouldn't have missed anything to be a bit more condensed, cause that's what remembering it is like. I can't remember anything aside from bits and pieces because those were the ones the set itself the most from this overly long series.
     
    "No, don't you see, Mitch?! They subvert your expectations again by making each character unique and he STILL ends up with all of them? Isn't that clever?" That's fine and all but the girls were dealing with crippling emotional baggage that was dealt with one by one and felt we had actual climax to, and not the climax Yuuji got in Amane's massive vagina! 
     
    I would've preferred if Yuuji died, cause I'm american and that's how we end every series these days. That or they think he died and he decided to start a new peaceful life while the girls must take their once again broken lives and rebuild the pieces but this time with more efficiency thanks to Yuuji. As opposed to the alternative route where they live on an island, ignore their problems and have everything solved by sweet, juicy Yuuji cum!
     
    Though I will say I did like the implication that the routes at some point all converge, so he sleeps with all of them while solving their problems. But then the problem arises with Amane's where it goes deep into the future with them being happily married then eventually dying. And you know what? That's perfectly fine with me.
  22. Thanks
    Dreamysyu reacted to Zalor for a blog entry, The Function of Ellipses in VNs   
    VNs sometimes get criticized for their overuse of the ellipse (…). And I suppose I'll start my defense of the use of ellipses in VNs, by extending an olive branch. VNs do misuse the ellipse to an astounding degree, and I have an interesting little anecdote demonstrating this point. In college, me and some friends decided to spend a Friday night getting drunk and reading the worst VNs we could find. We stumbled upon Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme. There is a LOT wrong with this VN, but a glaringly consistent detail of bad writing we all noticed was the excessive use of ellipses. After we all collectively noticed and pointed out how often ellipses were being used, we decided to start counting every instance of an ellipse we spotted. Keep in mind, they had already been used plenty before we even started to count. Before we even reached a total playtime of 1 hour, we counted over 100 uses of ellipses, and gave up counting after that. I share this anecdote for two reasons. Firstly, as a petty example that Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme is horrible and I almost want to say it has no right to exist. And secondly that overall I am in agreement that ellipses do get misused often in VNs. So I am not entirely attacking this point of criticism, but I do think that many who do champion this specific criticism of VN writing miss one very important function that the ellipses achieves in VN writing, that it can't achieve in traditional print.
    The written word as it is presented in VNs is transient. With each click you typically receive one line at a time. And after a certain point all the lines disappear and you are greeted with fresh words from the top of the screen if NVL, or the top of the dialogue box if ADV. Furthermore often (though not always), sentences aren't displayed whole at once. But rather they get displayed in a sort of typewriter effect. This means that regardless of whether the narrative is in past tense or present tense, the occurrence of the text and the story to the reader will always be in the present. Character dialogue, internal monologues, narrative descriptions, it is all being presented to us in real time.
    A book on the other hand has everything written out and open to display. You can scan the whole page as well as the next page, and you have equal access to every page of the book at any given time. Want to skip to the ending? Well the medium can't stop you. This is not true of VNs. You can fast-forward, but you can't just skip to the end. The only way you can typically access specific parts of a VN is by creating a save point and therefore being able to load it up whenever you want. But you only have that option for everything you already read, you can't just pick and load sections you haven't experienced yet. Because for all intense and purposes, that's in the future. It hasn't happened yet. In other words, there is a sense of time in how the narrative of a VN gets expressed.
    Well in VNs, the ellipse can be used to demarcate time and expression. In this way, VNs can literally show the passage of time, without having to tell it. And I always thought the golden rule of writing was “show don't tell”, in this function the ellipse is being used optimally to show and not tell.
    Here is an example of how I would write a certain passage if I were writing it for a book/short-story, and then I will proceed to rewrite it for a VN.
     
    Novel/Short-story:
    “I don't know about that,” she briefly paused while biting her lip, “you sure it will be okay?”
    Visual Novel coded in Renpy:
    “I don't know about that...{w=1.5} you sure it will be okay?”
     
    The {w=1.5} is a wait command in Renpy that pauses the text for 1.5 seconds before resuming the rest of the line. Without having to tell the reader “she briefly paused”, we literally showed the pause by manipulating the speed in which the text gets displayed. The ellipse helps signal to the reader that the character is hesitating to express her thoughts, while the {w=1.5} command is running in the background.
    Now if the detail of “biting her lip” is also important to you. You would have to script things slightly differently, but you could make it that after the ellipse her sprite changes and bites her lip and you hold on that image for 1.5 seconds, before transitioning back to her previous expression and continue the text. So now you not only showed her hesitation and the gap in time it took for her to finish her thought, but you also showed her expression change. This is a way you can “show and not tell” with VNs that you could never achieve when writing for traditional print media.
  23. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, Princess Frontier [AXL]   
    Foreword: Fantasy AXL work. Of course I'm in.

    Synopsis: 
    Ryu is a practice knight. One day, he accidentally stumbles during an important ceremony and his life turns around 180 degrees. He is degraded to a boss of a security group stationed on the edge of nowhere.
    A few days later, when he arrives the village, his coworkers welcome him. And he somehow enjoys his country life there through various troubles and accidents. One day, a boy comes to the village. He is arrogant and unyielding. He turns out to be the princess who shunted him....
    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv9wgTC9rvOcsjNvddNrT6i8
    Game type: Fantasy romcom
    Character Design rating: 10/10
    Protagonist rating: 9/10
    Story rating: 8/10
    Game quality: 10/10
    Overall rating: 9/10
    Fantasy makes every work better, so it's usual score + 1... I might say that, but it's not that simple. Moreover, I start to see disparity among AXL works.

    Princess Frontier scenario is written by Kitagawa Samui, author of Kimi no Koe ga Kikoeru. These two works are different from other two AXL works of Hasegawa Ai by number of heroines and side-characters. As for me, five heroines is a bit excessive and more difficult to focus, but four heroines much easier to process. It's a minor difference, but side-characters make a huge difference. Kimikoe and Princess Frontier have absolutely superb male side-characters. In kimikoe there were nerd friend, simpleton powerhouse friend and bad aristocratic friend/rival. Princess frontier has equally colorful side cast - simpleton knight Tristan, pervert oyaji Homero and bad noble friend Jin. This makes Kitagawa Samui games really lively comedies in contrast to Shield 9 that astonished me for the lack of humor. AXL is back on track and kicking. While we're still at humor part, I should note wide and clever usage of SDCG for comical effect. But for me it also means that I'd want to avoid Hasegawa Ai, especially if work is centered on real world nobility, butlers and maids, all the stuff. I'm inclined to skip "Like a Butler" unless there is like nothing else to play in February 2009.

    AXL games excel in creating pleasant atmosphere, but here there is also focus on friendship and cooperation. It may be called our usual overcoming problem with heroine trope, but the difference is that it's not girl's innate personal problem, but it's external problem arising from girl's background. And it's not that protagonist does all the work, but problem solved in tight cooperation. I also appreciate that four girls are from different professions in contrast to everyone being just high school student in Shield 9.

    Game system is inherited from Shield 9 with the same options to skip general route pieces inserted into heroines routes, but it's done so much more clever this time. There are like only 2-3 skips incorporated compared to dozens encountered in Shield 9 inside every individual route. This is also achieved by rather late branching so that common route takes over 60% of total screen time. In result common route took me almost 12 hours to play, plus some 7 hours on average for each individual route. That's quite a lot, and story can be called extended. But Princess Frontier is not that much about capturing a heroine or getting to story climax. It's mostly about enjoying humor, and it can be done at any point of the game, so I don't consider big length a problem.

    Princess Frontier is so far the most enjoyable AXL work for me. It amplifies all the best parts and learns from dubious experiments of Shield 9. AXL fans will love it, and if someone expected revolutionary changes or different genre elements - it's their problem, not brand's.

  24. Like
    Dreamysyu reacted to Zalor for a blog entry, Umineko Mid-Point Impressions (SPOILER FREE)   
    Umineko is a beast of a work that I've been putting off for many years now, probably around a decade. I first learned about it after watching the Higurashi anime back in 2010. At first I stayed away because I wasn't a fan of Ryukishi07's sausage-finger art. However these days it seems that most common ports of Umineko utilize updated art. But, that still left one other huge factor for why I was so intimidated by Umineko for so long.
    The estimated reading time of both the Question and Answer arcs is around 150 hours. That's a huge time commitment, and I am not a particularly patient or fast reader. If a book doesn't grab my interest within the first couple of chapters I feel no remorse in dropping it. And I apply that same rule to everything I read or watch. So works that have slow starts but supposedly “get better, I promise it gets way better if you continue with it!”, are works I generally avoid. But hey, Subahibi proved to be exceptional and I had a hunch that Umineko would prove to be as well.
    Essentially the whole coronavirus lockdown presented me with a rare opportunity to finally tackle Umineko. My last semester of Uni got delayed by over a month, and I figured if ever in my life I would have time to read Umineko it would be now. So I purchased the Steam releases of the Question and Answer arcs and installed the voice patch. Which by the way was a slight pain in the ass to do, since the voice-patch is banned in Japan for some copyright protection reasons. However using a VPN managed to solve that problem.
    To date I've read the first 5 episodes of Umineko including their associated tea party chapters. Which according to Steam clocks me in at 88 hours (I wasn't kidding about being a slow reader).
    I admire the balls it took for Ryukishi07 to literally take the most cliched premise of a “dark and stormy night in an isolated mansion” mystery setup, and to turn that premise so much on its head that my attention is wrapped entirely in the web of the narrative he has setup. And without being pretentious about it, Umineko makes it clear that the mystery genre, and literature in general, is something that Ryukishi07 holds dear to his heart. It is very much a love letter to the mystery genre, while also being a complete deconstruction of it.
    More than that though, it isn't just the plot which is masterly crafted, but what makes it standout is that it truly fleshes out its entire cast. Characters aren't just there to be pieces in a puzzle to solve, even if at first they may all seem to be fairly generic. Gradually as the layers peel, you will see the facade in much of the interactions between the family and all the conflicting and complex motives various characters hold beneath the surface. And above all, they are all sympathetic despite being quite flawed.
    If I had to pick one character in particular that was surprisingly much more complex then I anticipated, it would be the 9 year old Maria. I fully expected her to be a simple little kid character, who was there mostly to just be cute or maybe to be used for cheap tragedy. No, far from it. Even Maria has complex motives of her own that reach surprising levels of depth. And so if even the initial impression of a 9 year old can be deceptive, I think we can easily imagine that being true for the rest of the cast as well.
    What I found consistently very impressive about the work, is that as I mentioned previously I am not a patient reader. I hate it when stories have segments of seemingly dull character interactions to establish build up. This usually gets me in an irritated mood where I think, “This better be building up to something great, because I'm in no mood to settle for good.” And invariably, every single time so far that Umineko ordered for my extended patience, it was rewarded well beyond my expectations.
    A story that I initially found off putting precisely because of its length, is now a story I don't want to end. The irony, huh.
     
     
  25. Thanks
    Dreamysyu reacted to alpacaman for a blog entry, Steins;Gate and Your Inner Child   
    Spoilers for Steins;Gate ahead! 
    As far as I'm aware, most deeper discussions of Steins;Gate revolve around one of two of its more obvious central aspects. On one hand its time travel mechanics tend to get picked apart a lot, with arguments about whether they make sense, if Rintarou basically destroying whole timelines renders the plot meaningless, and so on. On the other hand its theme of the dangers of humans playing god gets brought up a lot, pointing to how you cannot create an outcome where everyone is happy. While both of these things are among what makes S;G special, I think they are only part of its larger theme of fate and how we as humans learn to deal with it as we grow up.
    Did you notice how there is no actual main villain in Steins;Gate? The Committee? The threat it poses always remains somewhat abstract. Mayuri dies regardless of whether they intervene or not. Even once they get a face in the form of Moeka and Mr. Tennouji, they turn out not to be some super-villains but an emotionally vulnerable woman tricked into doing bad things and a single-father trying to make ends meet for his daughter. Thus there is no real sense of victory in beating them, there are just two more people to feel sorry about getting wound up in the larger scheme of things. Also, once Rintarou beats the Committee, they immediately get replaced by a new menace, namely the threat of World War III. Both these threats are, on a metaphorical level, manifestations of the greater hardships life has in store for you. You can never achieve total victory in life, there will always be threats beyond your control, and the only thing you can do is try to find the best trade-off for yourself and everyone else. But more often than not there is going to be someone who gets hurt by these decisions (this point actually gets brought up rather often in discussions about the “Changing your Past” theme, but I think this also plays into my argument, so I thought I'd mention it here).
    Then what about Doctor Nakabachi? He also is just a clog in the machine. He doesn't have some great agenda or even the ability to foresee the consequences of his actions. He is just some scientist with an ego hurt so deeply he would even murder his own daughter if it meant he could get recognized by his peers. Consequently the final showdown isn't about Rintarou beating him in a fight (which would have been easy, considering Rintarou is probably physically more capable and having the advantage of the element of surprise), but about tricking fate.
    I'll come back to both Nakabachi and the true ending later. First I want to talk about how the character arcs in S;G tie into its overarching theme of learning to grow up in the face of calamity. All side heroines who send messages to the past have somewhat parallel arcs (except maybe Moeka, who I already talked about). They revolve around them learning to come to terms with some great misfortune, usually after being shown what life would have been like without it ever befalling them. The story even shows how they live happier lives after accepting their fates. Suzuha has to give up on her time with the lab members or the prospect of ever finding her father, but in turn she achieves her goal of securing the IBN 5100 and lives a happy adult life instead of losing her memories and committing suicide once she remembers her failure. Faris losing her father turns her from a princess waiting to be saved by a white knight into a responsible adult who basically rebuilds a whole part of Tokyo the way she wants. Luka learns her happiness is not tied to her physical sex and that her friends are more important than what her genitals look like (yeah, S;G doesn't handle her character all that well). Their setbacks actually make them grow as human beings. One important aspect about this growth is that they don't just keep part of their inner child intact, it also propels said growth. Suzuha sees her younger self in the adolescent Mr. Tennouji when she takes him in. Faris keeps her love for otaku culture and uses it to transform Akihabara. And in Luka's case, her swordfight roleplay with Rintarou gives her the power to carry on.
    Which brings us to Rintarou's character arc. At the beginning of the story, he is basically still a child refusing to grow up. His childish side manifesting as a chuuni alter ego, the mad scientist Hououin Kyouma, seems fitting, seeing how chuunibyou translates to “eighth-grader-syndrome”. Hououin Kyouma is self-absorbed, stupid, careless, and in his own way pretty naive. In the first half, Rintarou is scared of what it means to be an adult, and whenever he feels insecure because of this, he delegates control to his alter ego. Then, when Mayuri dies, he is forced to acknowledge how useless this approach is once confronted with real calamity, but doesn't know what to do instead, so he tries to just turn things back to the way they were before, turning to Kurisu, the most adult and cool-headed of the characters, for help most of the time. The realization that there is no going back as it would mean letting Kurisu die forces him to finally accept the reality of having to become an adult. He sees it as his responsibility to try to save Kurisu, but fails. He only succeeds once he embraces Hououin Kyouma again. This time though, Hououin Kyouma isn't his shield for whenever he doesn't want to confront his anxieties, but rather the spark of positivity and creativity that helps him overcome the seemingly insurmountable adversity in front of him. I guess the name Houou(Phoenix)-in Kyouma (unspeakable truth) becomes pretty self-explanatory foreshadowing once you look at it this way. From this point of view, it also makes total sense that Rintarou's final showdown is against Doctor Nakabachi, who is also a mad scientist, but whose joy for his fringe science got turned into mediocrity through bitterness and pettiness, and is thus the antithesis to the reborn Hououin Kyouma.
    Mayuri and Kurisu as characters are also built around the theme of growing up. Mayuri is basically childlike naivete turned to flesh and a symbol for Rintarou's childhood days. Thus his attempt to save her is an attempt to recreate their innocent past. Him distancing himself further from her the longer his journey to save her takes is also a signifier for how this goal is getting further away from him. Her slapping him once he fails to save Kurisu is the culmination of this, showing that there is no going back to the carefree days back at the lab (I still don't like how she gets fridged and turned into a macguffin simultaneously, but whatever). As for Kurisu, her status as a child prodigy caused her to only be around adults from a very young age, forcing her to grow up very quickly and suppress her more childish personality traits. Thus the general carefree atmosphere of the lab draws her in and over the course of the VN she learns to feel more comfortable with her more youthful character traits.
    The true ending also makes a little more sense from this angle than with the “don't play god” interpretation. The latter telling you there are no objectively perfect choices and playing with fate tends to make things worse rather than better gets rejected by the true ending as Rintarou gets his total victory by finding a loophole in the rules of the universe and basically cheats fate. But if you look at it as a story about embracing your inner child, it makes some sense. “Of course you can't escape fate” and “there are no perfect endings” is the way a grown-up without imagination thinks. But who can prove them wrong if not Hououin Kyouma, the ultimate adolescent?
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